Battle of Batapur and the ingenuity of an engineer and first Sitara-e-Jurat awardee of the 1965 War

Malik Aftab Ahmed Khan completed his Civil Engineering at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi in 1950. He opted to join Pakistan Army as a part of the Corps of Engineers to serve the nation. Then he was posted to the newly established Military College of Engineering, Risalpur, to teach and train the young aspirant military engineers.

During one of his assignments in Balochistan, he carried out a detailed analysis of the subject of oil and petroleum issues associated with Iran and Pakistan and their importance to the country. He wrote an article on this intricate and complex issue, titled “Persian Pipeline”. Apart from its importance as a fuel supply line, he also suggested the method for its protection along the hostile territory by establishing mini battalion-size cantonments along its proposed route through Balochistan/Sindh. The article was published by the Military College of Engineering. President Ayub Khan read the article and liked the concept. As a result, Major Aftab was sent abroad on a three-year scholarship to pursue advanced studies in the field of “Reinforced Concrete”.

During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, Major Aftab was posted in the 4 Engineers Battalion, which he later commanded (from July 21, 1967-January 25, 1969).

Engineers Battalion

Major Aftab’s parent unit was the 4 Engineers Battalion. The motto of the unit is Jurat-o-Istaqlal (courage and perseverance), which was not only an inspiration for the young officer but served as his aim and purpose in the service and life.

The Battle of Batapur

Batapur is a town near the city of Lahore, where the first Bata factory was established on the Indian subcontinent. The Battle of Batapur was fought between Pakistan and India on September 6, 1965. The battle ended in Pakistani victory. The battle forced Major General Prasad to retreat, leaving behind his jeep and personal papers and a diary, which were captured by Pakistan Army.

The danger of Batapur Bridge falling into the enemy hands had been realised at the Headquarters 10 Division as soon as it was reported in the morning that the enemy has reached near Dograi. On the battlefront too, the element of surprise was in favour of the attacking army, at least on the first day. After the initial shock, a counter-strategy was put in place. An immediate decision for the defence of Lahore was to destroy the Batapur Bridge on the BRB Canal to block the advance of the invading army by making the canal a defensive line.

Like the defences, the demolition work on the BRB Link Canal bridges in the 10 Division’s area of responsibility was not complete when the Indians attacked on September 6, 1965. Of all the bridges, the one on Batapur was the most threatened and the least prepared. The 4 Engineers Battalion had moved out on the night of September 4-5, but the entire day of September 5 had been spent by sappers preparing trenches near various demolition sites. It was after nightfall on September 5 that the work on the bridge was started. Explosives chambers made during the Rann of Kutch crisis had been plugged with wooden stakes earlier in July. Some of these could not be removed easily and the new chambers had to be drilled. One platoon of B Company, 4 Engineers Battalion was assigned to Batapur Bridge but work on it could not begin before 11 PM because of the particularly heavy flow of traffic on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road. Thus, by the morning of September 6, only the chambers had been prepared and the explosives had still to be placed in them when the stream of refugees fleeing from the border areas brought the unpleasant and unexpected news that the Indians were coming.

Unfortunately, explosives were in short supply and the demolition parties had to make do with whatever was issued to them. The engineers had done only forty-five minutes worth of work on the Batapur Bridge when the leading elements of the Indian Army (3 Jat and C Squadron 14 Horse) reached Dograi. The engineers continued to work under hostile fire and shelling by troops on both sides. However, three Balochs destroyed two enemy tanks before they could reach the eastern end of the bridge. But the danger was far from over and in the morning, the Commander of the 114 brigades, who was at the bridge himself, ordered the demolition to be executed immediately. The premature explosion only partially damaged the bridge, yet rendered it unsafe for tanks to cross.

The engineers were ordered to destroy the bridge completely at all costs. While the Pakistani infantry supported by tanks kept the Indians away from the canal, the engineers resumed their demolition efforts once again. At this juncture, Major Aftab, the newly appointed Commander of B Field Company Engineers arrived at Batapur Bridge.

The situation appeared bleak as the chances of supply of ammunition appeared dim. Having run out of explosives, Major Aftab displayed remarkable ingenuity. He proposed to open the nearly three hundred mines he had and use their explosive material to make an improvised weapon on the spot. Fifty crates, each containing six anti-tank mines, were disassembled and prepared accordingly. This resulted in an Improvised Explosive Device in the shape of a necklace.

All this involved a high level of risk. At any stage, a slight mistake or oversight could have not only blown those involved in doing this work but caused devastation in the surrounding area due to the presence of a lot of ammunition nearby.

Finding no other option, the local commander agreed to the innovative plan. Major Aftab got this precarious and sensitive work started under his supervision and within a short period, this improvised weapon was ready. The immediate problem was to choose the appropriate location under the bridge from where it would be detonated and destroy the bridge. If the bridge was only to be partially damaged, the risky venture would be pointless, as the approach would still be open. The enemy would still be able to cross the canal and if it did, there were no significant natural obstacles on its path to the city of Lahore.

Major Aftab, utilising his prowess in engineering, determined the most suitable location under the bridge where the improvised weapon was to be installed. Initially, this task was assigned to a non-commissioned officer, but he was martyred by enemy fire during the initial reconnaissance or recce. At this point, Major Aftab, rejecting the advice of his colleagues and subordinates, decided to personally plant the explosives under the bridge.

He along with his small team, under a shower of bullets from both sides, reached the designated place from the bottom side of the bridge. There was still the nerve-racking task of tying the necklace-type string of explosive charges together.

All this took considerable time and eventually, the explosives were tied under the bridge. The team returned without any injuries.

The much-awaited time had finally arrived. A few minutes after midnight, the area resounded with explosions and the bridge was finally demolished at 0045 AM on September 7. In an official announcement on the morning of September 7, Major Malik Aftab Ahmad Khan was awarded the first Sitara-e-Jurat of the 1965 War.