12th Infantry Division (Pakistan)
12th Infantry Division, the largest Pakistani Army infantry division, is currently based in Murree, Punjab close to Azad Kashmir. The Chinar Division's headquarters are located in the Murree Hills Cantonment. The brigades of 12th Division are deployed all across Azad Jammu Kashmir and the Line of Control. With 6 Infantry Brigades, 1 Divisional Artillery brigade and a number of supporting units of Air Defence, Supply, Engineering, Signals and Remount & Veterinary Corps under its command, 12th Infantry division is the largest division of Pakistan Army.
| 12th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1948- Present |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Branch |  Pakistan Army |
| Type | Mountain infantry |
| Role | Infantry, though supporting, artillery and armour elements are attached |
| Size | 20,000+ men (though this may vary as units are rotated) |
| Part of | X Corps (Pakistan) |
| Headquarters | Murree, Punjab (Pakistan) |
| Nickname(s) | Chinar Division |
| Colors | Green & Gold |
| Engagements | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Siachen conflict Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 War on terror |
| Commanders | |
| General Officer Commanding
Notable Commanders Major General Muhammad Kaleem Asif Major General Faheem ul Aziz Major General Najam ul Hassan Shah Major General Sohail Ahmed Khan | Major-General Amer Ahsan Nawaz |
History
The division was formed in 1948, from troops allocated to Pakistan from the old British Indian Army. It was the first division sized formation to be created by the Pakistan Army (the three prior ones, 7th (Golden Arrow), 8th and 10th infantry divisions predated Pakistan).
1948 Kashmir War
The division went into combat against the Indian army in Kashmir. A notable action was the recapturing of Skardu from the Indian forces, accomplished with help from tribesmen from the tribal areas.
1965 Indo-Pakistani War
In between the wars the division was active on the ceasefire line, where fighting broke out on several occasions. In 1965 the division undertook Operation Grand Slam, whereby under the command of 7th Infantry Division, it attacked and captured Chamb, and then moved on and captured territory beyond the river Tawi, ending up in a position 6 km ahead of Jammu. Although its performance was greatly lauded at the time, its commander Maj-Gen Akhtar Hussain Malik was privately criticised by General Ayub Khan, for abandoning several posts in Kashmir which were then taken by the Indian forces, and for losing the strategically vital Hajir Pir Pass (this would not be retaken until after the ceasefire).
1971 Bangladeshi War
Six years later, the division went into action again, this time in Poonch-Ranjouri sector. Despite being outnumbered by Indian forces, the formation managed to advance nearly 50 km, all the way to Ranjouri. Unfortunately dogged Indian resistance meant that it was unable to capture Poonch itself. During the war, it was commanded by Maj-Gen Mohammad Akbar Khan.
Recent history
Since 1971, the formation had been deployed on the Line of Control, dividing the Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where sporadic fights break out with Indian forces, and occasionally full-fledged actions develop. In 1991, the division defeated an Indian incursion into the Neelum Valley.
List of GOCs (Commanders)
- Lieutenant-General (Lt. Gen.) Attiqur Rahman
- Lt. Gen. Akhtar Hussain Malik GOC during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War
- Major General (Maj Gen) Sherin Khan 1966-1970
- Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rahman 1971-74
- Major General Mohammad Akbar
- Lieutenant-General|Lt. Gen. Zulfiqar Akhtar Naaz, HI(M), S(BT) Jan 1984 - May 1988
- Maj. Mehtab khan (Baloch Regt) (Defence Sectary Azad Kashmir)
- Maj. Gen. Zia ul Haq
- Lt. Gen. Ghulam Muhammad Malik 1990-1992
- Lt. Gen. Tariq Parvez 1992-1995
- Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz, HI(M) 1996-1999
- Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, NI(M), HI(M) 1999-2001
- Lt. Gen. Waseem Ahmad Ashraf, HI(M) 2001-2003
- Lt. Gen. Khalid Nawaz Khan, HI(M) 2003-2006
- Lt.Gen. Zaheer-ul-Islam, HI(M) 2006-2008
- Lt.Gen. Maqsood Ahmad, HI(M) September 2008 - April 2010
- Maj. Gen. Sohail Ahmad Khan, HI(M) April 2010 - October 2011
- Maj. Gen. Syed Najam ul Hassan Shah, HI(M) October 2011 - July 2013
- Maj. Gen. Faheem ul Aziz July 2013 - March 2015
- Maj. Gen. Muhammad Kaleem Asif, HI(M) February 2015 – January 2017
- Maj. Gen. Azhar Abbas, HI(M) January 2017 - May 2018
References
- Global Security Website.
- Pakistan Army; A History, by Brian Cloughly.