XXX Corps (Pakistan)
| XXXpak Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1987 - Present |
| Country |
 Pakistan |
| Allegiance |
 Pakistan Army |
| Branch | Active Duty |
| Type | Army Corps |
| Role |
Combined arms formation Tactical headquarters element |
| Size | 60,000+ approximately (though this may vary as units are rotated) |
| Part of | Eastern Military Command of Pakistan Army |
| HQ/Command Control Headquarter | Gujranwala, Punjab Province |
| Nickname(s) | Triple X Corps |
| Colors Identification |
Red, White and Green |
| Engagements |
Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 India-Pakistan Standoff |
| Decorations | Military Decorations of Pakistan Military |
| Commanders | |
| Corps Commander | Lt Gen Ikram Ul Haq |
| Notable commanders |
Gen Raheel Sharif Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch Lt Gen Nadeem Taj Lt Gen Salim Nawaz |
The XXX Corps (30 Corps), known as Triple X Corps, is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army currently assigned in Gujranwala, Punjab Province. The Corps is a major and integral part of Eastern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces, along with PAF's Eastern Air Command and Navy's Eastern Naval Command. It is currently commanded by Lieutenant-General Ikram Ul Haq, who is designated as Corps Commander of this holding corps.
The vital area, which connects Pakistani Punjab and parts of Kashmir governed by India (extending from Jehlum to Narowal), has always been of strategic importance; the place was the site of major battles in both 1965 and 1971. Traditionally, this area had been held by I Corps. That corps already had offensive duties and the task of defending this area was being neglected by the corps HQ.
To improve the situation it was decided to raise another corps headquarters to look after this area. Thus the XXX Corps was raised and given the command of both new raisings and units and formations detached from I Corps, which was then dedicated to offensive tasks. [1]
Since the beginnings of an anti-India insurgency in Kashmir, the Line of Control has been an active operational zone. The corps has been deployed along its sector of the LOC and engaged in operations since 1989.
List of commanders
- Lt Gen Imtiaz Waraich, July 1987 – March 1988
- Lt Gen Pir Dad Khan, March 1988 – November 1990
- Lt Gen Chaudhry Sardar Ali, November 1990 - May 1992
- Lt Gen Hamid Niaz, May 1992 - May 1993
- Lt Gen Mohammad Tariq, May 1993 – August 1995
- Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, August 1995 – February 1996
- Lt Gen Ziauddin Butt, February 1996 – March 1997
- Lt Gen Naeem Akbar Khan, March 1997 – April 1998
- Lt Gen Agha Jehangir Khan, April 1998 – January 2001
- Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, January 2001 – October 2001
- Lt Gen Faiz Jilani Malik, October 2001 – March 2003
- Lt Gen Khalid Munir Khan, March 2003 – January 2004
- Lt Gen Javed Hassan, January 2004 – October 2004
- Lt Gen Mohammad Sabir, October 2004 – September 2005
- Lt Gen Anis Ahmed Abbasi, September 2005 – April 2007
- Lt Gen Waseem Ahmad Ashraf, April 2007 – October 2008
- Lt Gen Nadeem Taj, October 2008 – April 2010
- Lt Gen Jamil Haider, April 2010 – October 2010
- Lt Gen Raheel Sharif, October 2010 – October 2012
- Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain, October 2012 – July 2013
- Lt Gen Salim Nawaz, July 2013 – October 2014
- Lt Gen Ghayur Mahmood, October 2014 – September 2015
- Lt Gen Ikram Ul Haq, September 2015 – Present
Order of battle
Its present order of battle is as follows:[2]
- HQ XXX Corps, Gujranwala
- 8th Infantry Division, Sialkot. The division was raised in 1947, and took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 with 24, 14th Para Brigade and 115 Brigades. Attached were Changez Force and 124 Brigade from 33rd Infantry Division.[3]
- 15th Infantry Division, Sialkot
- 19th Independent Armoured Brigade Group, Gujranwala
- 54th Independent Infantry Brigade Group, Sialkot
References
- ↑ Ravi Rikhye,Pakistan Army Divisions Archived November 7, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Global Security website page on XXX Corps
- ↑ John H. Gill, An Atlas of the 1971 India - Pakistan War: The Creation of Bangladesh, Near East South Asia Centre for Strategic Studies (National Defense University), p.78
