Raja Aziz Bhatti

Raja Aziz Bhatti
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, 1965
Birth name	Raja Aziz Bhatti
Nickname	Major Raja Aziz
Born	1928 British Hong Kong
Died	September 10, 1965 Lahore, Pakistan
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1950-1965
Rank	Major
Unit	17th Battalion, Punjab Regiment
Commands held	Burki Company, 17th Battalion, Punjab Regiment
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Awards	Nishan-e-Haider Sword of Honor Norman Medal

Major Raja Aziz Bhatti (1928 - September 10, 1965)^[1] (Punjabi, Urdu: عزیز بهٹی) was a Hong Kong-born Pakistan Army's Staff officer who received Pakistan's highest award for valor. He was born in Hong Kong in 1928.^[2][3] He moved to Pakistan before it became independent in 1947, living in the village of Ladian, in the district of Gujrat. There he enlisted with the newly formed Pakistani Army and was commissioned to the Punjab Regiment in 1950.

Early life and army career

He was from a Muslim Rajput family. His father's name was Master Abdullah Bhatti, and his mother's name was Bibi Amna. . . He had four brothers, Nazir, Bashir, Sardar and Rashid, and two sisters, Rashida and Tahira. His brother Bashir was killed during the Second World War by the Japanese while leaving Hong Kong. He himself had six children, four sons named Major Zafar Javed Bhatti, Dr Zulfiquar Ahmad Bhatti, Rafique Ahmad Bhatti, and Iqbal Javed Bhatti, and two daughters named Riffat Bhatti and Zeenat Bhatti. Throughout his career, he was a brilliant officer and stood out in his class. He did very well at the Academy and was awarded the Sword of Honour best in his year's batch of 300 officers, and the Norman Medal. He received his honours from Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was later assassinated.

Bhatti chose to move his platoon forward under constant firing from Indian tanks and artillery. For three or more days he went without rest. He resisted for five days and nights defending a Pakistani outpost on the strategic BRB canal.

Martyrdom and Legacy

On 6 September 1965, as a Company Commander in the Burki area of the Lahore sector, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti choose to stay with his forward platoon under incessant artillery and tank attacks for five days and nights in the defence of the strategic BRB Canal. Throughout, undaunted by constant fire from enemy small arms, tanks and artillery. He was reorganizing his company and directing the gunners to shell the enemy positions. In order to watch every move of the enemy, he had to place himself in an elevated position, where he was exposed to Indian fury. He led his men from the front under constant attack from Indian Artillery batteries. Although he tried to counter every Indian offensive in his area, he was hit by an enemy tank shell in the chest while watching the enemy's moves, and embraced martyrdom on 11 September 1965.^[4]

A day before his Shahadat (Martyrdom), the commanding officer had sent to him word that since he had been fighting untiringly for the last five days and nights, he should take a little rest and that another officer was being sent to replace him. Major Aziz, who was filled with a battle spirit and the will for martyrdom replied, "Do not recall me. I don't want to go back. I will shed the last drop of my blood in the defence of my dear homeland".

He is buried at his village in Ladian in the Gujrat district.^[5]

Each year, Major Bhatti is honoured in Pakistan on 6 September, also known as Defence Day of Pakistan. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti was awarded the Nishan-e-Haider, the nation's highest military award for gallantry for the exemplary courage he displayed till his Martyrdom.

References

1. ^ Major Raja Aziz Bhatti,Pakistan Army. Retrieved 09 June 2010
2. ^ http://www.ouchh.com/Special/Nishan-e-Haider/razizbhatti3.php
3. ^ http://www.shaheedfoundation.org/NishaneHaider.asp
4. ^ http://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/awpreview/TextContent.aspx?pId=175
5. ^ http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/saboursharif/SabourMap.bmp&date=2009-10-26+01:58:37

External links

• padef.info

Persondata
Name	Bhatti, Aziz
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1928
Place of birth	Hong Kong, China
Date of death	September 10, 1965
Place of death	Lahore, Pakistan