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Context:

Defence Minister recently addressed that after the 1965 war with Pakistan, had the Indian government converted the “strategic advances” gained by soldiers into “strategic advantages” on the negotiating table.

What is Operation Gibraltar?

Operation Gibraltar was a Pakistani military operation in Indian Kashmir. The aim was to incite the local population to revolt against the Indian government. The operation failed because the infiltration was discovered and the locals did not revolt. This caused the Indo-Pak war to start in 1965.

The name was chosen by Pakistan to refer to the Muslim conquest of Spain from Gibraltar. The aim was to attack nodes and destroy India's communications network using armed guerilla groups.

Guerrilla attacks were expected to lead to an insurgency among the Muslim majority in Kashmir. A rebel radio station set up in Kashmir reportedly reported on the actions of the "Mujahideen" to incite insurgency. Residents did not support the operation, which led to its failure.

How was Operation Gibraltar Planned?

Events	Details
Background	After the 1947 war, India gained two-thirds of Kashmir, but Pakistan desired the remaining territory.
Opportunity Post-1962	After the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, Pakistan viewed it as an opportunity to strike for the remaining Kashmir territory.
Plan for Gibraltar	Developed in the early 1950s, the plan called for an "infiltration attack" by irregular forces.
Gibraltar Force	The plan involved a specially trained, 40,000-strong force, which was well-armed and highly motivated.
Key Supporters	Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was Pakistan’s Foreign Minister at the time, supported the plan.
Intelligence Gathering	Pakistan Army initiated "Operation Nusrat" for intelligence gathering to identify gaps in the ceasefire line.
Preparation for Operation	The intelligence gathered was crucial for the success of the infiltration plan, which required identifying strategic entry points.
Social Unrest in Kashmir	Riots broke out in December 1963 due to the disappearance of a holy relic from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.
Pakistan's Involvement	Pakistan seized the opportunity to stoke insurgency by sending two forces: one regular army and one auxiliary force composed of locals.
Resulting Conflict	These actions led to the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965.

Executions of Operation Gibraltar

In 1965, Pakistani troops began crossing the ceasefire line. The units were joined by commandos and irregulars. The ceasefire line divided Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan. The operation aimed to capture key heights. Another aim was to provoke a general revolt.
The mutiny was to be followed by direct combat. Indian sources reported the number of men. It was claimed that 30,000 to 40,000 men crossed the line, which differed from the number reported by Pakistani sources. The actual number of men who crossed the line was not clear. The troops who crossed the line were called the "Gibraltar Force".
The force was given unique code names. The pseudonyms were mostly after prominent Muslim rulers. The name of the operation, Gibraltar, had Islamic connotations. The name was based on the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in the eighth century.
Conquest was launched from Gibraltar. The operational plan had several aspects. One part of the plan was infiltration. The infiltrators would mix with the locals. The aim was to cause unrest.
Guerrilla warfare was also part of the plan. Guerrillas would destroy bridges, tunnels, and highways. They also attacked the airport. The ultimate goal of the operation was to create an "armed insurrection". The rebellion was to take place in Kashmir.
A rebellion would lead to a national uprising. The rebellion would be against Indian rule. Pakistan assumed that India would not counterattack.
The assumption was based on the belief that the operation would be successful. The ultimate goal was the liberation of Kashmir.

Why did Operation Gibraltar Fail?

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was the result of a flawed plan by the Pakistan Army. The plan aimed to infiltrate and instigate an insurgency in Kashmir. The plan rested on the assumption of a Kashmiri insurgency.
The assumption was based on the opportunity provided by the Pakistan Army's advance. However, the assumption did not come true. Kashmiri people did not revolt as expected.
The Indian Army got enough information to know about Operation Gibraltar. One of the main reasons for the failure of the operation was: a lack of coordination and communication between the various military services.
The then-chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Marshal Nur Khan, highlighted the lack of coordination. He said there was little coordination between the military services regarding the upcoming operation. Many senior officials opposed the plan.
They feared that his failure could lead to an all-out war with India. Many officials wanted to avoid war. The lack of consensus and unity in the Pakistani leadership further aggravated the situation. Military experts disagreed on whether the plan itself was flawed.
Some analysts believe that while the plan was well conceived, it was poorly executed. Almost all analysts, neutral and Pakistani, insisted that the entire operation was a clumsy attempt. The operation was doomed to collapse.

Conclusion

Operation Gibraltar was a failed military operation launched by Pakistan in 1965. The infiltrators were quickly detected and neutralized by the Indian Army. The failure of Operation Gibraltar eventually led to the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War (1965).

The war ended in a stalemate. Operation Gibraltar was a botched attempt by Pakistan. The aim was to undermine Indian control over Jammu and Kashmir.

Ultimately, the operation did not achieve its goals. The failure of Operation Gibraltar led to a military conflict. The military conflict damaged relations between India and Pakistan. The damaged relationship lasted for many years.

Source:

Indian Express

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Examine the factors that contributed to the eruption of the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Assess the impact of Operation Gibraltar on the intensification of the conflict and explore the broader geopolitical consequences that followed. (150 words)