Raja Aziz Bhatti: Difference between revisions

{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

| honorific_prefix         = [[Major]]

| name                     = Raja Aziz Bhatti

| honorific_suffix         = [[Nishan-e-Haider|NH]]

| image                     = Raja Aziz Bhatti.jpeg

| image_upright             =  

| alt                       =  

| caption                   =  

| native_name               = راجہ عزیز بھٹی

| native_name_lang         = ur

| birth_name               = Azizi Ahmed

| other_name               = Raja Abdul Aziz Bhatti

| nickname                 = {{ubl|''Raja''|''A Great Hero''{{rp|220}}<ref name="Springer, Zajda, Tsyrlina-Spady, Lovorn, 2016" />|''A. A.''|''Protector of Lahore''}}

| birth_date               = {{birth date|1928|08|06}}

| birth_place               = [[British Hong Kong]]

| death_date               = {{Death date and age|1965|09|12|1928|08|06}}

| death_place               = Near [[Barki, Pakistan|Burki]], [[West Pakistan]], [[Pakistan]]  

| placeofburial             = [[Ladian]], [[Gujrat District]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]  

| placeofburial_label       =  

| placeofburial_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}}-->

| allegiance               = {{flag|Pakistan}}

| branch                   = {{ubl|[[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (1944–45)| [[Royal Indian Air Force|British Indian Air Force]] (1946–47)| [[Pakistan Air Force]] (1947–48)| [[Pakistan Army]] (1948–1965)}}

| branch_label             = Service/branch

| serviceyears             = 1946–1965

| serviceyears_label       =  

| rank                     = [[Major (rank)|Major]]

| rank_label               =  

| servicenumber             = PA-2695

| unit                     = {{ubl|[[16th Punjab Regiment|4/16th Punjab Regiment]]| [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|17 Punjab Regiment | Haidri Bn]]}}

| commands                 =  

| battles                   = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]

*[[Battle of Burki]]{{KIA}}

| battles_label             =  

| awards                   = {{ubl|[[Nishan-e-Haider]] (1965)| [[Pakistan Medal]]|[[Sword of Honour (Pakistan)|Sword of Honor]] (1950)}}

| memorials                 =  

| spouse                   = <!--Add spouse if reliably sourced-->

| children                 =  

| relations                 =  

| laterwork                 =  

| signature                 =  

| signature_size           =  

| signature_alt             =  

| website                   = [https://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContentec54.html?pId=175 Major Raja Aziz Bhatti]

| module                   =  

'''[[Major]]''' '''Raja Aziz Bhatti''' ({{lang-pa|{{Nq|راجا عزیز بھٹی}}}}; {{lang-ur|{{Nq|راجہ عزیز بھٹی}}}}; 6 August 1928– 12 September 1965)<ref name="Pakistan Army Web Portal">{{cite web|title=Major Raja Aziz Bhatti|url=http://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=175|work=Nishan-i-Haider recipients|publisher=Pakistan Army|access-date=25 September 2022}}</ref> born as '''Aziz Ahmad'''<ref name="Inter-Services Public Relations, Malik, 2018" /> but usually known as '''Raja Aziz Bhatti''', was a [[Pakistan Army]] officer.  He was awarded the ''[[Nishan-e-Haider]]'' {{small|([[English language|Lit.]]: ''Emblem of Lion'')}} for his actions of valour during the [[Battle of Burki]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pak War of 1965]]. He is revered as a hero of [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|the 1965 war]] in [[Pakistan]], till this day.  

Prior to gaining [[Officer (armed forces)|officer's commission]] in the Pakistan Army, Major Bhatti served in the [[Pakistan Air Force]] as an enlisted man and left the air force as a [[Corporal technician|Corporal]] in a favor of transferring to the Army.<ref name="urdubiograph">{{cite web |title=Major Aziz Bhatti: biography in Urdu |url=https://www.urdubiography.com/national-heroes/major-aziz-bhatti.html |website=www.urdubiography.com |access-date=9 March 2019 |language=ur|date=2022}}</ref> In his brief military career, he was a [[staff officer]] working on [[Military administration|administrative positions]] and widely popular as the "Muhafiz-e-Lahore" (Protector of Lahore).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistantimes.com/topics/raja-aziz-bhatti/|title=Raja Aziz Bhatti|date=31 March 2012|publisher=PakistanTimes|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="pakistantimes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistantimes.com/topics/raja-aziz-bhatti/|title=Raja Aziz Bhatti|date=31 March 2012|publisher=Pakistan Times}}</ref>

In 1997, he was the subject of a critically acclaimed<ref name="urdubiograph" /> [[Biographical film|biographical]] [[War film|war]] [[drama]] [[Television film|telefilm]], ''Major Raja Aziz Bhatti'', produced by the [[Inter-Services Public Relations|ISPR]] and directed by Salim Tahir of the [[Pakistan Television Corporation|PTV]].<ref name="ISPR Films">{{cite web |title=Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Full Movie mp4 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alKcMML4NX0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/alKcMML4NX0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|website=www.youtube.com |publisher=ISPR Films |access-date=3 March 2019 |date=5 September 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Raja Aziz Ahmed Bhatti was born in [[British Hong Kong]] on 6 August 1928 into a [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Rajput]] family.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> His family hailed from a small village about 110 miles away from the [[Gujrat District]] of the [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] in [[British Indian Empire|India]], who had immigrated to [[British Hong Kong]] after his father and two uncles found employment in the [[Hong Kong Police Force]].<ref name="urdubiograph" /> His father, Mohammad Abdullah Bhatti, was an alumnus of the [[Queen's College, Hong Kong|Queen's College in Hong Kong]] who later served as an [[Police Inspector|Inspector]] in the Hong Kong Police Force.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> Aziz Bhatti was educated in Hong Kong where he completed his [[Matriculation examination|matriculation]] and attended the Queen's College but his education was halted due to the [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong|Japanese invasion and occupation]] of Hong Kong in 1941.<ref name="urdubiograph" />  He was drafted into the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] in 1944, first serving at the rank of the [[seaman recruit]] and as the tower watchman ([[observation post]]) before being directed to attend the officer school offered by the Imperial Japanese Navy due to his educational qualifications.<ref name="urdubiograph" />

However in December 1945, the Bhatti family relocated to India, and Aziz Bhatti enlisted to join the [[Royal Indian Air Force]] as an [[Aircraftman|airman]] in June 1946.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> After the [[Creation of Pakistan|establishment]] of Pakistan in 1947, Bhatti joined the [[Pakistan Air Force]] and promoted as [[Corporal technician|Corporal]] (Cpl.), which he continued to serve in the air force until 1948.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> Cpl. Bhatti was a prospective candidate to join the [[Pakistan Air Force Academy|Air Force Academy]] in [[Risalpur]] and was known to be among the brightest members of the Air Force in its early years.{{rp|220}}<ref name="Springer, Zajda, Tsyrlina-Spady, Lovorn, 2016">{{cite book |last1=Zajda |first1=Joseph |last2=Tsyrlina-Spady |first2=Tatyana |last3=Lovorn |first3=Michael |title=Globalisation and Historiography of National Leaders: Symbolic Representations in School Textbooks |date=2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9789402409758 |pages=250 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdvJDQAAQBAJ&q=aziz+bhatti+air+force&pg=PA220 |access-date=9 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

On 21 January 1948, Bhatti submitted an application to the [[Pakistan Ministry of Defence|Ministry of Defense]] (MoD), asking to be transferred to the [[Pakistan Army]], which was approved and Bhatti was directed to attend the [[Pakistan Military Academy]] in [[Kakul]] in 1948.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> There, he distinguish himself in studies and athletics among his classmates, and [[Passing out (military)|passed out]] from the academy at the top of his class in the class of the first PMA Long Course, in 1950.  He was awarded the [[Sword of Honour (Pakistan)|Sword of Honor]] and the Norman gold medallion by the ceremony's chief guest, [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Prime Minister]] [[Liaquat Ali Khan]].{{rp|177}}<ref name="Inter-Services Public Relations, Malik, 2018">{{cite book |last1=Malik |first1=Imran Ali |title=Moon Glade |date=2018 |publisher=Inter-Services Public Relations |location=Rawalpindi, Punj. Pakistan |isbn=9789697632022 |pages=248 |edition=1st |url=https://nadeemmalik.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/moonglade.pdf |access-date=9 March 2019 |language=en-us |chapter={{small|Major Aziz Bhatti)}}}}</ref> He was [[Commissioned officer|commissioned]] as the [[Second lieutenant|2nd-Lt.]] in the 4th battalion of the [[16th Punjab Regiment]] (4/16th [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]]).<ref name="urdubiograph" /> He was promoted to [[Lieutenant]] in 1951 and to [[Captain (Land)|captain]] in 1953.<ref name="urdubiograph" />

In 1956, Aziz was sent to Canada to attend the staff course at the [[Canadian Army Command and Staff College]] where he remained until graduation from [[strategic studies]] courses in 1960.{{rp|71}}<ref name="Pakistan Herald Publications, 1969">{{cite book |title=Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan |date=1969 |publisher=Pakistan Herald Publications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Xk6AQAAIAAJ&q=Aziz+Bhatti+staff+college |language=en}}</ref><ref name="urdubiograph" /> Upon returning to Pakistan, Capt. Aziz was posted with the [[17th Punjab Infantry|17th Punjab Regiment]] as a [[General Staff officer|General Staff Officer]] (GSO) until 1962.<ref name="urdubiograph" /> After being promoted as [[Major (rank)|Major]] in the [[Pakistan Army|Army]] in 1962, Maj. Aziz was taken in the faculty of the School of Infantry and Tactics in [[Quetta]], which he remained until 1964.<ref name="urdubiograph" />

From January 1965 till May 1965, Maj. Bhatti served as the [[General Staff officer|General Staff Officer]] (GSO) of the [[17th Punjab Infantry|17th Punjab Regiment]], but was later posted as the commander of the two [[Company (military unit)|military companies]] after the Indian Army's [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|launching the invasion by crossing]] the [[Indo-Pakistani border|international borders]] in September 1965.{{rp|279}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beg |first1=Aziz |title=Seventeen September Days |date=1966 |publisher=Babur and Amer Publications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m7AJk5Bza3UC&q=major+aziz+bhatti |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="urdubiograph" /> Leading the [[Company (military unit)|military companies]], Maj. Bhatti was initially deployed on the [[Forward observation officer|forward positions]] of the [[BRB canal|BRB Canal]] near the [[Barki, Pakistan|Burki]] area that falls in the vicinity of the [[Lahore District]] in [[Punjab, Pakistan|Pakistan-side Punjab]].{{rp|177}}<ref name="Inter-Services Public Relations, Malik, 2018" />{{rp|contents}}<ref name="Simon and Schuster, Cloughley">{{cite book |last1=Cloughley |first1=Brian |title=A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections |date=2016 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=9781631440397 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SqCDwAAQBAJ&q=major+aziz+bhatti+Burki&pg=PT84 |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Official engagement with the Indian Army took place between 7–10 September when the Indian Army begin its push of capturing the [[Barki, Pakistan|Burki sector]] through artillery and armory in a view of entering in [[Lahore]].{{rp|178}}<ref name="Hurst Publishers, Bajwa">{{cite book |last1=Bajwa |first1=Farooq |title=From Kutch to Tashkent: The Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 |date=2013 |publisher=Hurst Publishers |isbn=9781849042307 |pages=400 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5a0NAQAAQBAJ&q=major+aziz+bhatti&pg=PA178 |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Despite Indian Army's efforts of relatively easily capturing of the Burki sector through the [[BRB canal|BRB Canal]], the outnumbered [[Company (military unit)|military companies]] under Major Bhatti had forced the Indian Army to engage in hand-to-hand combat during the night of the 7/8 September 1965, and the fighting continued till the next three days despite Indian Army having numerical advantage.{{rp|178}}<ref name="Hurst Publishers, Bajwa"/> Although the defense of the Burki sector through the [[BRB Canal]] had less importance in the views of military strategists working at the [[GHQ (Pakistan Army)|Army GHQ]] in Rawalpindi, its defense was fierce and tenacious, and the Indian Army had to halt its plans of capturing Lahore and focused on capturing the Burki sector and destroying the bridge connecting the BRB Canal.{{rp|178}}<ref name="Hurst Publishers, Bajwa"/>{{rp|52}}<ref name="Wajidalis">{{cite book |last1=Musa |first1=Gen. Mohammed |author-link1=Musa Khan (general) |title=My version: India-Pakistan war, 1965 |date=1983 |publisher=Wajid Ali Publishing co. |pages=125 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yQhuAAAAMAAJ&q=Aziz |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> It is unclear why the Pakistan Army did not send the reinforcement teams to provide back up to Maj. Bhatti's teams and the questionnaire-based controversy was later generated on why Maj. Bhatti and his teams were left alone to fight bravely for a long time.{{rp|contents}}<ref name="Simon and Schuster, Cloughley"/>

Bhatti declined an offer to take leave with his family in Lahore and instead told a sergeant, "Do not recall me. I don't want to go back. I will shed the last drop of my blood in the defense of my dear homeland."<ref>{{cite news |title=Will shed last drop of blood for homeland: Major Raja Aziz Bhatti's last words {{!}} Pakistan {{!}} Dunya News |url=http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/298602-Will-shed-last-drop-of-blood-for-homeland-Major-R |access-date=10 March 2019 |work=dunyanews.tv}}</ref> Maj. Bhatti moved towards building up the [[Trench warfare|trenches]] and positioned himself towards [[Forward observation officer|forward observation]] to view enemy movements, where he would often stand for a better view to direct [[howitzer]] fire.{{rp|231}}<ref name="Oxford University Press, Nawaz, 2008">{{cite book |last1=Nawaz |first1=Shuja |title=Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195476606 |pages=665 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKyfAAAAMAAJ&q=bhatti+ |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Bhatti was killed on 10 September 1965. He stood up to observe enemy positions and direct artillery fire, despite warnings to take cover,{{rp|238}}<ref name="National Book House, Ghaznawi">{{cite book |last1=Ghaznawi |first1=Khalid |title=Story of Indian Aggressions Against Pakistan |date=1966 |publisher=National Book House |pages=328 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnICg3ZpIy4C&q=Major+Raja+Bhatti+tank |access-date=10 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2021-09-13|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/815492/nation-remembers-major-aziz-bhatti-on-56th-martyrdom-anniversary/|title=Nation remembers Major Aziz Bhatti on 56th martyrdom anniversary|website=Daily Times|access-date=2021-09-14}}</ref> and was killed by shellfire.<ref name="urdubiograph" />{{rp|238}}<ref name="National Book House, Ghaznawi"/> Maj. Bhatti was 37 years old at the time of his death.<ref name="urdubiograph" />

== Memorials ==

 

Maj. Aziz Bhatti was buried in the courtyard of his ancestral home at [[Ladian]], a small village near Gujrat, [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] in Pakistan.<ref name="Meemainseen">{{cite web |title=September War & Our Solo Nishan e Haider |date=15 October 2017 |url=https://www.meemainseen.com/2017/10/aziz-bhatti/ |access-date=10 March 2022}}</ref> In 1966, the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]] accepted the recommendations and announced to posthumously award

 

 

the [[Nishan-e-Haider]] for his gallantry and actions of valor during the [[Battle of Burki|defense of the Burki]].{{rp|83}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan |date=1966 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wOENAQAAIAAJ&q=Raja+Aziz+Bhatti+awarded+nishan+1966 |language=en}}</ref>

The Presidential Nishan-e-Haider citation on his grave is written in [[Urdu]] and is actually a poem; and it reads with translation as:

|width=120

|height=150

|lines=5

 

|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War]]'''

 

'''<u>Posthumously</u>'''

|'''[[Pakistan Medal|Pakistan Tamgha]]'''

''([[Pakistan Medal]])''

'''1947'''

|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Tamgha-e-Jamhuria]]'''

=== See also ===