It is nearing midnight September 9, (1965), location Chawinda, a village near Sialkot. Indian and Pakistani forces are locked in the biggest post-World War II Tank battle. I am perching on a stool before a Battle Map, in my bunker, browsing over the ongoing battle situation, when I received a message from my Commanding Officer, Lt Colonel Mohammad Amin through Dispatch Rider, Sepoy Payo Jaan. The message, inter alia, reads:- “Captain Bokhari! GHQ has instructed us to rush up to Islamabad, one captured Indian tank. The tank must reach Gujranwala Railway as soon as possible, for onward journey by rail to the Capital.”

A thought flashed across my mind, that the government must have come up with the idea of displaying an Indian trophy in Islamabad, to prove Pakistan was on the winning side of the War. An Indian tank for public display in the serene ambient of Islamabad would definitely upswing morale of the nation, I pondered.

Searching for an Indian tank in the battle field was no problem. In the previous four days of battle our 6 Armoured Division, under the heroic command of Major General Abrar Hussain (later awarded Hilal-e-Jurrat) had turned the area into junkyard of damaged tanks, the Indian tank conspicuous by their outnumbers.

During the search my mission was to pick a piece, least damaged and the formation insignia, and other Indian markings conspicuously visible. With my battle torch that beamed out barest minimum light, and with four Jawaans the search begins. The flashes emanating from descending shells catapulted by the Indian artillery guns lit the area casually that facilitated the search. Going from one destroyed tank to another, I finally........

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