Islamabad: Pakistan is observing Navy Day today to pay tribute to the personnel who served in the 1965 war. The day commemorates Operation Dwarka, codenamed Operation SOMNATH. In that operation, seven major warships of the Pakistan Navy carried out a mission inside enemy territory. The ships destroyed shore installations at Dwarka, including an Indian radar station and a radio beacon.
The operation is recalled as part of the wider naval effort during the 1965 conflict. At the same time, the Pakistan Navy submarine Ghazi operated as a deterrent. It is remembered for its role in the war and for the operational presence it represented.
Navy Day is marked each year to recognise those who fought in 1965 and those who lost their lives in defence of the country. Official commemorations focus on the actions of the surface ships at Dwarka and the contribution of the submarine Ghazi during the conflict.
The observance centres on the historical record of the 1965 operations rather than contemporary events. Ceremonies and statements issued for the day restate the facts of Operation Dwarka and the deployment of Ghazi as recorded at the time.
Pakistan Navy Day therefore serves as an annual reminder of the specific naval actions undertaken in 1965: the mission by seven major warships against shore targets at Dwarka and the concurrent role of the submarine Ghazi.
