1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁deput y ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Reg ular ▁Commission ▁Selection ▁Board ▁over ▁ 4 0 0 ▁more ▁senior ▁officers . ▁ ▁Indian ▁independence ▁and ▁K ash mir ▁war ▁At ▁Independ ence ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁Path ania ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁Indian ▁CO ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 / 5 ▁G ork ha ▁R if les , ▁his ▁parent ▁unit ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁Front ier ▁Force ▁R if les ▁having ▁been ▁allocated ▁to ▁Pakistan . ▁As ▁CO , ▁he ▁helped ▁to ▁provide ▁aid ▁for ▁refuge es ▁and ▁local ▁residents ▁in ▁Del hi ▁during ▁the ▁post - Part ition ▁cha os ▁and ▁ri oting . ▁▁ ▁His ▁batt alion ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁K ash mir ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 ▁Ind o - P ak istan ▁War , ▁where ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁Indian ▁Army ’ s ▁advance ▁towards ▁Dr ass ▁and ▁K arg il ▁was ▁being ▁halt ed ▁at ▁P ind ras ▁g orge . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁Operation ▁B ison , ▁ 1 / 5 ▁G ork ha ▁R if les ▁was ▁deployed ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁r idge ▁ahead ▁of ▁P ind ras , ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁G um ri ▁N ala ; ▁the ▁resulting ▁battle ▁was ▁reported ly ▁the ▁hard est ▁ever ▁fought ▁during ▁the ▁Jam mu ▁and ▁K ash mir ▁operations . ▁An ant ▁not ▁only ▁led ▁several ▁reconna issance ▁miss ions ▁but ▁also ▁pressed