What happened in 1965 war? Sir Creek dispute explained

The Indo-Pak War of 1965 was the second major conflict between the two nations

Sir Creek, a 96-km tidal estuary on the India-Pakistan border, is back in focus with defence minister Rajnath Singh warning Pakistan over the military build-ups in the area.

Singh said aggression by Pakistan in the Sir Creek area will be met with a resounding response. "In the 1965 war, the Indian Army had demonstrated the capability to reach Lahore. Today in 2025, Pakistan should remember that one route to Karachi passes through the creek," he said.

Singh spoke about Sir Creek at a military base near the border city of Bhuj in Gujarat as he celebrated Dussehra with soldiers and performed 'shastra puja' (worship of weapons) on the occasion.

“India has made several attempts to resolve the issue through dialogue, but Pakistan's intentions remain unclear. The recent expansion of its military infrastructure near Sir Creek reveals these intentions,” said Singh.

Throwback to the 1965 war

The Indo-Pak War of 1965 was the second major conflict between the two nations, primarily centered around the Kashmir region.

Earlier that year, tensions had already flared in the Rann of Kutch, where Pakistan launched Operation Desert Hawk in April by pushing troops into the disputed marshlands near Sir Creek.

This led to the Rann of Kutch conflict, which ended in June after British mediation, but the territorial dispute lingered on.

In August 1965, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, sending around 30,000 fighters into Kashmir to incite unrest and aid its capture. However, India secured the Haji Pir Pass, leading to the complete failure of the operation. On September 1, Pakistan initiated another offensive in the Akhnoor sector near Jammu, codenamed Operation Grand Slam. In response, India opened up a new front across the international border in Punjab, a move that caught Pakistan by surprise.

On September 6, 1965, the Indian Army launched a major offensive towards Lahore from three sides — the Wagah-Dograi axis, the Khalra-Burki axis and the Khemkaran-Kasur axis — effectively threatening the city from multiple directions.

In a surprise action, Indian forces even captured the Wagah border joint check post on the Grand Trunk Road. Pakistan’s military and government had not anticipated India’s cross-border offensive, and reinforcements had to be rushed to defend Lahore. The Pakistan Air Force, initially focused on Akhnoor, was forced to divert to counter India’s push in Punjab.

The war continued for over two weeks before the United Nations brokered a ceasefire on September 22, 1965. The conflict formally concluded with the Tashkent Agreement, signed on January 10, 1966, which called for the withdrawal of forces and restoration of pre-war positions. However, key disputes such as Sir Creek and Kashmir remained unresolved.

About Sir Creek

Located in the uninhabited marshlands along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat, Sir Creek, named after a British representative, flows into the Arabian Sea, separating India’s Gujarat state from Pakistan’s Sindh province.

Pakistan claims the entire Sir Creek based on a 1914 agreement signed between the government of Sindh and rulers of Kutch. However, India said that the boundary lies mid-channel, as was depicted in a map in 1925.

The dispute traces its origins to the provisions of the 1914 Bombay government resolution. According to Paragraph 9 of the agreement, the boundary lies “to the east of the Creek”. This implied that the creek belonged to Sindh, now part of Pakistan. After partition, Sindh and Kutch divisions became part of India and Pakistan. In 1968, an international tribunal settled most of the Rann of Kutch border issues. However, Sir Creek remained unresolved despite multiple rounds of talks. India wanted the maritime boundary demarcated first, while Pakistan insisted the dispute must be settled before it.

After the Indo-Pak war in 1965, the UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson urged the two countries to set up a tribunal to resolve the dispute. The tribunal verdict granted roughly 10% of the area to Pakistan. However, until 2012, the two countries could not reach a resolution. A new Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue was announced in December 2015, which included Sir Creek as an agenda item.

The 2016 Pathankot terror attack derailed the process. Since then, structured dialogue has remained suspended.

The Sir Creek boundary has direct implications for defining India and Pakistan’s maritime boundary. Its resolution affects access to the Arabian Sea, maritime resources, rich fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.