X Corps (Pakistan)

The X Corps is a corps of the Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. It's one of two corps that are currently active in Kashmir. One of its most important brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, is assigned Presidential Guard duties along with ceremonial duties for foreign dignitaries arriving in Pakistan.The current commander of this corps is Lt Gen Azhar Abbas.[2]

X Corps
Active1974 – present
Country Pakistan
Allegiance Pakistan Army
BranchActive Duty
TypeArmy Corps
RoleCombined arms formation
Tactical headquarters element
Size150,000 Troops
HQ/Command Control HeadquarterRawalpindi, Punjab Province
Nickname(s)X Corps
The Pindi Corps
Rawalpindi Corps[1]
Colors IdentificationRed, White and yellow
   
EngagementsSiachen conflict
Indo-Pakistani War of 1999
1999 Pakistani coup d'état
DecorationsMilitary Decorations of Pakistan Military
Commanders
Corps CommanderLt Gen Azhar Abbas
Notable
commanders

Lt Gen Jahan Dad Khan
Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Gen Tariq Majid
Lt Gen Zahid Ali Akbar
Lt Gen Jamshed Gulzar Kiani
Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed
Lt Gen Ali Kuli Khan Khattak
Lt Gen Ghulam Muhammad Malik
Lt Gen Aftab Ahmad Khan
Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa

History

The X Corps was raised in 1974 by Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan. Headquartered in Rawalpindi, it is responsible for operations in some areas of Kashmir.[3] Before that, all formations in Kashmir were controlled directly from GHQ. As an ode to Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan, the insignia of the X Corps features a Rising Sun or Aftab (in Urdu) with 10 rays extruding from it.


Serving on the Line of Control

In 1974, as today, the Indian and Pakistani forces face each other across the Line of Control (LoC), and there are often exchanges of fire, and sometime full-scale battles. Since 1974, the formation's primary occupation has been to protect Pakistani interests on the LoC.

There are three main Infantry Division under 10 Corps:
1. 23rd Infantry Division,Jehlum
2. 12th Infantry Division, Murree
3. FCNA, Gilgit Baltistan


Siachen conflict

In 1984, the Pakistan Army was involved in a major skirmish with the Indian Army in the northernmost part of the disputed region of Kashmir. Under the command of Lt Gen Zahid Ali Akbar Khan, the X Corps was put into action on the highest battlefield in the world.


Kargil War

In 1999, under the command of Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed, the conflict over Kargil saw the corps enter action, in Kargil itself, and all along the LoC. Over several weeks in June 1999, the entire corps was engaged for the first time in its history. During the fighting, Havildar Lalak Jan, a trooper of the corps would earn the Nishan-e-Haider.

List of corps commanders

# Lieutenant-General

Name Start of tenure End of tenure
1 Aftab Ahmad Khan March 1973 March 1976
2 Faiz Ali Chishti March 1976 March 1980
3 Jahan Dad Khan March 1980 April 1984
4 Zahid Ali Akbar Khan April 1984 May 1987
5 Imran Ullah Khan May 1987 June 1991
6 Ghulam Muhammad Malik June 1991 October 1995
7 Ali Kuli Khan Khattak October 1995 May 1997
8 Saleem Haider May 1997 October 1998
9 Mahmud Ahmed October 1998 October 1999
10 Jamshed Gulzar Kiani November 1999 October 2001
11 Syed Arif Hassan October 2001 October 2003
12 (Later COAS, General)Ashfaq Parvez Kayani October 2003 August 2004
13 Salahuddin Satti October 2004 November 2006
14 (Later CJCSC, General)Tariq Majid November 2006 October 2007
15 Mohsin Kamal October 2007 October 2008
16 Tahir Mahmud October 2008 May 2010
17 Khalid Nawaz Khan May 2010 August 2013
18 (Now COAS, General)Qamar Javed Bajwa August 2013 October 2015
19 Malik Zafar Iqbal October 2015 December 2016
20 (Now CJSC, General) Nadeem Raza December 2016 September 2018
22 Bilal Akbar September 2018 September 2019
23 Azhar Abbas September 2019 Present

Order of battle

The Corps HQ is stationed in Rawalpindi, however its subordinate formations and units are mostly deployed in Kashmir.


    • Independent Engineer Brigade
    • Independent Signal Brigade

References

Further reading

  • Brain Cloughley, A History of Pakistan Army
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