1st Battalion, Azad Kashmir Regiment

Last updated
1st Battalion, Azad Kashmir Regiment
Founded6 October 1947
20 September 1971
CountryFlag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
BranchFlag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
Role Infantry
Size1 battalion
Part of 111th Infantry Brigade
Engagements Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Commanders
Previous commanderLieutenant-Colonel Nausherwan Khan [1]

The 1st Battalion, Azad Kashmir Regiment is an infantry battalion of the Azad Kashmir Regiment of the Pakistan Army. Operationally it is assigned to the 111th Infantry Brigade, carrying out ceremonial duties and acting as part of the presidential guard. The battalion was originally formed at Kotli on 28th November 1947 at the start of the Kashmir Conflict, but this was backdated to 6th October 1947 by Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan. [2] It served as part of the paramilitary Azad Kashmir Regular Forces and in February 1948 was operating in Handwara with a strength of 800 personnel and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Nausherwan Khan. [1]

The battalion subsequently participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on 20 September 1971 when the Regular Forces became the Azad Kashmir Regiment. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Light Infantry Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army

The Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, Pakistan. Along with other forces of the Pakistani military, the NLI has the primary responsibility of conducting ground operations in the interest of defending the strategically-important territory of Gilgit−Baltistan, a Pakistani-controlled region that constitutes part of Kashmir, which has been disputed between Pakistan and India since 1947. The NLI draws a majority of its recruits from native tribes present in the nearby mountainous areas who are reportedly less prone to altitude sickness and the cold temperatures that characterize high-altitude mountain warfare, allowing the regiment to conduct its duties optimally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jammu and Kashmir Rifles</span> Indian Army regiment

The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, the State Forces came under the command of the Indian Army. They remained in the original form until 1956 when Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly effectively ratified the state's accession to India. Then the State Forces became the Jammu and Kashmir Regiment of the Indian Army. In 1963, the designation was changed to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. After the conversion, the Ladakh Scouts came under the aegis of the Regiment, where it remained until raised as a separate Regiment in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)</span> Infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army

The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The regiment takes its name from the historic Punjab region, which is now divided into the Punjab province of Pakistan and the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. It was raised in its current form in 1956, following the amalgamation of the 1st, 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab regiments that were inherited by the Dominion of Pakistan from the British Indian Army upon the Partition of India. Since then, the regiment has expanded in size to 63 battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bengal Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Bangladesh Army

The East Bengal Regiment is an infantry regiment and the largest military formation of the Bangladesh Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)</span> Military Unit

5th Gorkha Rifles, also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the British Indian Army. The regiment's battalions served in the First World War (Mesopotamia) and Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Indian Army

The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 post-independence gallantry awards, when it was transformed into the 4th battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment. The first battalion of the regiment was officially raised just before the partial annexation of the Sikh Empire on 1 August 1846, by the British East India Company. Currently, the Sikh Regimental Centre is located in Ramgarh Cantonment, Jharkhand. The Centre was earlier located in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumaon Regiment</span> Military unit

The Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars, and is one of the highest decorated regiments of the Indian army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madras Regiment</span> Regiment in the Indian Army

The Madras Regiment is the oldest infantry regiment of the Indian Army, originating in the 1750s. The regiment took part in numerous campaigns with both the British Indian Army and the post-independence Indian Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontier Force Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army

The Frontier Force Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army. They are popularly known as the Piffers in reference to their military history as the PIF of the British Indian Army, or as the FF. The regiment takes its name from the historic North-West Frontier, a former province of British India and later Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry</span> Military unit

The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regimental center is in Srinagar's Airport Complex at Awantipora with a winter setup near Jammu. Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed rifles. The regiment mostly consists of volunteers from the state of Jammu & Kashmir and ethnic groups from the state. The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is considered to be one of the most decorated regiment of the Indian army having won 1 Param Veer Chakra and 3 Ashok Chakra. Naib Subedar Chuni Lal of the 8th battalion Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is one of the most decorated personnel of the Indian Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Gorkha Rifles</span> Military unit

The 9th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army and, previously, the British Army. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independence as part of the tripartite agreement in 1947. This Gorkha regiment mainly recruits soldiers who come from Nepal's Gorkhali warrior community i.e. the Khas/Chhetri and Thakuri clans. Domiciled Indian Gorkhas are also recruited, and they form about 20 percent of the regiment's total strength. The 9 Gorkha Rifles is one of the seven Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army. The other regiments are 1 GR, 3 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR (FF), 8 GR and 11 GR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bihar Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Indian Army

The Bihar Regiment is an Indian Army infantry regiment. It traces its origins back to the British Indian Army. The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, the 19th Hyderabad Regiment, and raising new battalions. The Bihar Regimental Centre (BRC) is located at Danapur Cantonment, Patna, the second oldest cantonment of India. INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's largest ship and one of its two aircraft carriers is affiliated to the Bihar Regiment, Indian Army's highly decorated and battle-hardened unit. The regiment also distinguishes itself by having the highest number of Rashtriya Rifles battalions among all regiments of the Indian Army.

Sitara-e-Jurat is the third highest military award of Pakistan. It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a republic; however, it was instituted retrospectively back to 1947. It is awarded for gallantry or distinguished service in combat; and can be bestowed upon officers, junior commissioned officers, petty officers, warrant officers, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and equivalents in the Pakistan Army, Navy, Air Force, and various paramilitary forces under federal control, such as the Frontier Corps, the Frontier Constabulary, and the Pakistan Rangers. It may be considered to be roughly equivalent to the Military Cross and the Silver Star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azad Kashmir Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army

The Azad Kashmir Regiment, also known as AK Regt, is one of the six infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. The regiment takes its name from Azad Kashmir, which is the Pakistani-administered territory of the Kashmir region. As per the order of seniority, it is the fourth regiment, but was the first to be raised after the independence of Pakistan from British colonial rule. Its regimental Centre is located at Mansar camp in Attock District, on the border of Punjab and KPK provinces. The regiment has participated in all major and minor operations and wars fought by the army. Notable commanders of the regiment include lieutenant general Haroon Aslam, an ex-commander of Pakistan Army Special Service Group who led the SSG operation in Swat in 2009, and lieutenant general Hidayat ur Rehman, who commanded Operation al-Mizan and operation Zarb e Azab in FATA from 2014 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Pakistan Army</span>

The structure of the Pakistan Army is based on two distinct themes: operational and administrative. Operationally the Pakistan Army is divided into nine corps and three corps-level formations with areas of responsibility (AOR) ranging from the mountainous regions of the north to the desert and coastal regions of the south. Administratively it is divided in several regiments. The General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Army is located in Rawalpindi in Punjab province. It is planned to be moved to the capital city of Islamabad nearby.

Habib ur Rahman (1913–1978) was an army officer in the Indian National Army (INA) who was charged with "waging war against His Majesty the King Emperor". He served as Subhas Chandra Bose's chief of staff in Singapore, and accompanied Bose on his alleged last fatal flight from Taipei to Tokyo, sharing the last moments of his life. Rahman also played an important role in the First Kashmir War. Convinced that Maharaja Hari Singh was out to exterminate the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, he joined Major General Zaman Kiani, in launching a rebellion against the Maharaja from Gujrat in Pakistani Punjab. Rehman and his volunteer force launched an attack on the Bhimber town. But, the records of the 11th Cavalry of the Pakistan Army indicate that their efforts did not succeed, and eventually the Cavalry was responsible for conquering Bhimber.

On 25 March 1971, the Pakistani military, supported by paramilitary units, launched the military operation to pacify the insurgent-held areas of East Pakistan, which led to a prolonged conflict with the Bengali Mukti Bahini. Although conventional in nature during March–May 1971, it soon turned into a guerrilla insurgency from June of that year. Indian Army had not directly supported the Bengali resistance but had launched Operation Jackpot to support the insurgency from May 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19th Battalion, Baloch Regiment</span> Military unit

19th Battalion The Baloch Regiment is one of the oldest Light Anti-Tank Regiment of Pakistan Army. Initially raised as the Machine Gun Battalion of 10th Baluch Regiment in 1942, it was first designated as 53rd Regiment, Indian Armoured Corps and then re-designated as 17/10th Baluch. This unit has the unique honour of being the parent unit of Pakistan Army's special forces known as Special Service Group. Prominent officers including General Mirza Aslam Beg, General Pervez Musharraf have served in the unit and Maj Gen Abrar Hussain and Maj Gen Aboobaker Osman Mitha also known as AO Mitha have commanded this unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khan Muhammad Khan of Mong</span>

Khan Muhammad Khan commonly known as Khan of Mong, was a Captain in the British Indian Army during the World War II. After demobilisation, he served as a rebel leader during the First Kashmir War. He is credited with the capture of Mirpur, even though the real action was carried out by Pakistan's PAVO Cavalry. He was also allegedly involved with the Rawalpindi Conspiracy and the Poonch Uprising.

The Azad Kashmir Regular Force (AKRF), formerly known as the Kashmir Liberation Forces, were the irregular forces of Azad Kashmir until 1948, when they were taken over by the government of Pakistan and converted into a regular force. In this form, the unit became part of the country's paramilitary forces, operating out of the nominally self-governing territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The AKRF was altered from a functioning paramilitary force and merged into the Pakistan Army as an infantry regiment following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

References

  1. 1 2 Singh, Harbakhsh (2000). "26". In the Line of Duty: A Soldier Remembers. Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN   9781935501787.
  2. "2-1 Raising of 1st Azad Kashmir Battalion". History of The Azad Kashmir Regiment. Vol. 1.
  3. "Azad Kashmir Regiment". Archived from the original on 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2016-11-27.