Question

Why did Pakistan invade the Rann of Kutch in 1965?

Answer 1

Pakistan invaded the Rann of Kutch in April 1965 due to a border dispute with India. Pakistan claimed that the Rann of Kutch region had historically been part of Sindh, which had been a part of Pakistan after the partition in 1947. The conflict arose because of differences in the interpretation of the boundary between India’s Gujarat state and Pakistan’s Sindh province. Pakistan’s government argued that the boundary between the two regions passed through Dharmashala, a location in the centre of the Rann of Kutch. India disputed this claim and maintained that the Rann of Kutch was part of India.

The dispute escalated into armed hostilities between the two countries. However, after international intervention, particularly from Britain, the issue was referred to an International court of Arbitration, which ruled in 1968. Pakistan was awarded a small portion, 350 square miles, of the Rann of Kutch, much less than its initial claim of 3,500 square miles.