I Corps (Pakistan)

I N
Active 1 July 1957 - Present
Country  Pakistan
Allegiance  Pakistan Army
Branch Active Duty
Type Army Corps
Role Combined arms formation
Size +60,000 approximately
Part of Northern Military Command of Pakistan Army
HQ/Command Control Headquarter Mangla, Mirpur District, Azad Kashmir]
Nickname(s) I Strike Corps
Colors Identification Red, White and Yellow
            
Anniversaries 1 July 1957
Engagements Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1999
2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff
Decorations Military Decorations of Pakistan Military
Commanders
Corps Commander LTG Umar Farooq Durrani
Notable
commanders
General Pervez Musharraf
LTG Bakhtiar Rana
LTG Irshad Ahmed Khan
LTG Ghulam Mustafa
LTG Nadeem Ahmad
LTG Mohammad Aslam Shah
LTGShamsur Rahman Kallu

The I Corps, also known as I Strike Corps, of the Pakistan Army headquartered in Mangla, Azad Kashimir Territory of Pakistan. Known as I Strike Corps, it is one of two strike corps within its ten manoeuvre Army corps. The I Strike Corps is one of the oldest and major formations of Pakistan Army, and a major component of Northern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces.

Active in Indo-Pakistan wars, the I Strike Corps subordinated administrative units played an integral role in Kargil war, and also served in current War in North-West Pakistan. Its current Corps-Commander is Lieutenant-General Umar Farooq Durrani.

History

The corps headquarters was raised in Abbottabad in 1957. Lt Gen Azam Khan was its first commander. It was the first Pakistani corps ever to take to the field.

1965 War

During the 1965 war, the corps was one of two corps in action. It commanded all Pakistani troops north of Lahore and in Kashmir. During this time however, because of the sheer number of formations under its command, (8 divisions), it was found easier to split the formations into corps level task-forces, as a result in the 1965 war it acted essentially as a Field Army.

1971 war

I Corps began the 1971 war with a force of two divisions forward supported by an armoured brigade, holding the Shakargarh salient.[1] 15th Infantry Division was on the left side of the corps' frontage around Sialkot, 8th Infantry Division on the right east of the Degh Nadi, and 8th Armoured Brigade in support. Further back, but titularly part of the corps, was Pakistan's Army Reserve North of 6th Armoured Division and 17th Infantry Division. India planned a major attack in the sector, managed by I Corps, but when the war broke out, the lead Indian formation, 54th Infantry Division only managed to advance a few miles - a total of eight miles in two weeks of operations.

Meanwhile, while the Indian attacks went on, the reserve formations did little. 6th Armoured Division remained near Pasrur waiting for orders, while 17th Infantry Division had significant detachments sent off to 23rd Infantry Division on the left and IV Corps on the right.[2]

Yet the fighting in Shakargarh, while ultimately successful as the Indian aims were thwarted, resulted in 8th Armoured Brigade's heavy loss of armour and some territory was also lost.[3] As a result, its commander, Lt Gen Irshad Khan, was recommended for court martial and dismissal; this was ultimately not carried out.

List of commanders

  1. Lt Gen Azam Khan, July 1957 – 1958
  2. Lt Gen Bakhtiar Rana, 1958 – 1966
  3. Lt Gen Abdul Hamid Khan, 1966 – March 1969
  4. Lt Gen Tikka Khan, March 1969 – August 1969
  5. Lt Gen Attiqur Rahman, August 1969 – February 1970
  6. Lt Gen Irshad Ahmed Khan, February 1970 – 1972
  7. Lt Gen Abdul Ali Malik, 1972 – 1974
  8. Lt Gen Azmat Bakhsh Awan, 1974 – March 1976
  9. Lt Gen Ghulam Hassan Khan, March 1976 – March 1980
  10. Lt Gen Ejaz Azim, April 1980 – April 1981
  11. Maj Gen Shah Rafi Alam (Acting)
  12. Lt Gen Shamsur Rahman Kallu, April 1982 – April 1986
  13. Lt Gen Muhammad Aslam Shah, April 1986 – April 1988
  14. Lt Gen Zulfiqar Akhtar Naz, May 1988 – May 1992
  15. Lt Gen Khalid Latif Mughal, May 1992 – October 1995
  16. Lt Gen Pervez Musharraf, October 1995 – October 1998
  17. Lt Gen Saleem Haider, October 1998 – September 1999
  18. Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, September 1999 – April 2001
  19. Lt Gen Ghulam Mustafa, April 2001 – April 2002
  20. Lt Gen Javed Alam Khan, April 2002 – April 2006
  21. Lt Gen Sajjad Akram, April 2006 – April 2008
  22. Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmad, April 2008 – April 2010
  23. Lt Gen Muhammad Mustafa Khan, April 2010 – October 2010
  24. Lt Gen Tariq Khan, October 2010 – October 2014
  25. Lt Gen Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain, October 2014 – September 2015
  26. Lt Gen Umar Farooq Durrani, September 2015 – Present

Present day and order of battle

The corps has not been in action since 1971, though its subordinate units have served on the Line of Control and the war on terror, on secondment to other formations. Its ORBAT is:

References

  1. Gill, An Atlas of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, NESA (NDU), p.48
  2. Gill, p.49
  3. Brian Cloughly, A History of Pakistan Army


External links

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