What was the main purpose of India launching a counter-offensive on the Punjab border during the 1965 conflict?

To ease pressure on the Kashmir front

In 1965, a more severe armed conflict emerged between the two nations. As you will discover in the following chapter, during this time, Lal Bahadur Shastri had assumed the role of Prime Minister. In April of that year, Pakistan initiated armed attacks in the Rann of Kutch region in Gujarat. Subsequently, a larger-scale offensive took place in Jammu and Kashmir from August to September. The leadership in Pakistan had hoped for local support in the region, but this anticipation went unfulfilled.

To relieve the pressure on the Kashmir front, Prime Minister Shastri directed Indian forces to launch a counter-offensive along the Punjab border. This initiative led to a fierce battle, during which the Indian army advanced close to Lahore. The hostilities ultimately concluded through the intervention of the United Nations.

In January 1966, Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan’s General Ayub Khan formalized an agreement known as the Tashkent Agreement, which had been facilitated by the Soviet Union. Despite causing significant military setbacks for Pakistan, the 1965 war exacerbated India's existing economic challenges.