Thread by @BhittaniKhannnn

Prayers for the 53 men crew of the missing Indonesian navy submarine.

We in #Pakistan still remember the solidarity #Indonesia showed us during the 1965 war.

Below is a thread with few extracts from the book "The First Round" by the late Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan. (1/7)

On 10 September during the war, Air Marshal Asghar Khan arrived in Jakarta to seek help in Pakistan’s ‘dire’ need to which Indonesian President Suekarno replied: "Your dire need? It is our dire need. India has attacked Indonesia" (2/7)

AM Asghar Khan writes "Pakistan will remember that when we were in ‘dire’ need, Indonesia gave Pakistan the key to their arsenal. . . . . . I have often wondered if Pakistan will ever be able to repay this debt". (3/7)

If you are wondering what AK meant by "key to their arsenal", Indonesians were ready to give all of their MIG-19 & few MIG-15.

And when AK was about to leave for Pak, 🇮🇩ian Admiral Eddy Martadinata asked "Don't you want us to take over the Andaman Islands (attack India)?" (4/7)

But Pakistan wanted naval assets so Indonesia gave two submarines & four Osa missile boats. Around This time Indonesia was heading for a confrontation with UK over the strait of Malacca. Submarines & Missile boats were the only deterrent force available to the Indonesians. (5/7)

Air Marshal Asghar Khan continues

"Moreover the submarines and the missile boats had been given to Indonesia by the USSR under a bilateral treaty which forbade their transfer to another country. It was, therefore, an act of great courage and friendship" (6/7)

The submarines were two Whiskey-class submarines, KRI Nagarangsang & KRI Bramstra. One of them is pictured here leaving for Karachi port. #Indonesia #Pakistan (7/7)