II Corps (Pakistan)

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II Corps
Multan Core logo.svg
Formation sign of II Corps, Multan
Active1967;57 years ago (1967) [1]
CountryFlag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
BranchFlag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
TypeXXX Corps
Role Maneuver/Deployment oversight.
Size~45,000 approximately
(Though this may vary as units are rotated)
HQ/Garrison Multan Cantonment, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname(s)Multan Corps [2]
Army Reserves South [3]
Colors IdentificationRed, white and black
   
Engagements Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Decorations Military Decorations of Pakistan Military
Commanders
Commander Lt-Gen. Ahsan Gulrez
Chief of Staff Brig. Usman Kiyani
Notable
commanders		 Gen. Jehangir Karamat
Gen. Tikka Khan
Gen. Zia-ul-Haq
Gen. Rahimuddin Khan
Lt-Gen. Hamid Gul

The II Corps is a field corps of the Pakistan Army headquartered in Multan Cantonment, Punjab in Pakistan. [3] It is one the ten maneuver corps formations of the Pakistani military which has seen deployments against the Indian Army in 1971 towards east and the Afghan war to enforce national defenses in west of Pakistan. [4]

Contents

The corps is currently commanded by Lieutenant-General Ahsan Gulrez.

History

The American Chairman joint chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen speaks with Lt-Gen. Shafqat Ahmed, the commander of II Corps, in Multan, Pakistan in 2010. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen speaks with Pakistani army Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shafqaat, the commander of II Corps, in Multan, Pakistan, Sept 100902-N-TT977-041.jpg
The American Chairman joint chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen speaks with Lt-Gen. Shafqat Ahmed, the commander of II Corps, in Multan, Pakistan in 2010.

In 1967, the II Corps formation was raised and established with its initial headquarters in Multan Cantonment, Punjab in Pakistan. [5]

The II Corps was the third formation that was established by the Pakistan Army after the war with India in 1965 as a necessity of corps formations were being earnestly felt by the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi. [6] The military leadership at that time wanted more decentralization of the land units, therefore intermediates between divisions and the Army GHQ were to be created and it were more corps headquarters. [6]

War services and deployments

The II Corps saw its first field service under the command of Lt-Gen. Tikka Khan in 1971 against the approaching Indian Army.: 205  [7] Soon after its deployment, the controversy in military strategy started when the 18th Infantry Division was moved out II Corps' formation and deployed in ill-fated offensive towards the Ramgarh sector; which led to the disaster at the Battle of Longewala.: 205–207  [7] The Army GHQ, working under Gen. Yahya Khan, had taken the control of the 18th Infantry Division rather than the II Corps which contributed to its failure in its mission.: 205–207  [7]

The II Corps repelled a major attack mounted by the Indian Army towards the Umerkot; the 18th Infantry Division later returned to II Corps control from Ramgarh sector alongside the 33rd Infantry Division. [1] : 206  [8] In the final analysis of its performance in the war; while commended by many parties, would be controversial, since at no time was its most powerful formation, 1st Armored Division, committed to action. [9]

After the 1971, the II Corps has not seen military deployment, and as akin to I Corps (specialized in Forest warfare), it is well suited for Desert warfare. [3] The II Corps is also a Pakistan's land-based main strategic reserve, and has not seen overseas deployment under United Nations. [3]

The II Corps supported the national lines of defense in Western Pakistan in 2009 when it provided its infantry and mechanized divisions in support of the Operation Zalzala (lit. Earthquake) against the Uzbek militants in Western Pakistan. [10] The 14th Infantry Division eventually cleared the Uzbeks and other foreign fighters from the area, and brought back the area under the wrist of Government of Pakistan. [11] On December 26, 2008, the 14th Infantry Division was redeployed to the II Corps to strengthened the lines of defenses of Pakistan's eastern border with India. [12]

Structure

The II Corps is an integral in forming the Pakistan Army Reserves, and the other military units in supporting the II Corps are organized in formation known as the Army Reserves South. [3] The II Corps' order of battle (ORBAT) is followed as: [4]

Structure of II Corps
CorpsCorps HQCorps CommanderAssigned UnitsUnit HQ
II Corps Multan Lt.Gen Ahsan Gulrez
US-O9 insignia.svg 		1st Armoured Division Multan
40th Infantry Division Okara
Independent Infantry BrigadeU/I Location
Independent Armoured BrigadeU/I Location
Independent Artillery BrigadeU/I Location
Independent Signal BrigadeU/I Location
Independent Engineering BrigadeU/I Location

List of corps commanders

#NameStart of tenureEnd of tenure
1Lt Gen Khwaja Wasiuddin 1967September 1971
2Lt Gen Tikka Khan September 1971March 1972
3Lt Gen Muhammad Shariff March 19721975
4Lt Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq 1975March 1976
5Lt Gen Rahimuddin Khan September 1978March 1984
6Lt Gen Raja Saroop Khan March 1984March 1988
7Lt Gen Shamim Alam Khan March 1988May 1989
8Lt Gen Hamid Gul May 1989January 1992
9Lt Gen Jehangir Karamat January 1992June 1994
10Lt Gen Mohammad MaqboolJune 1994January 1996
11Lt Gen Salahuddin TirmiziFebruary 1996October 1998
12Lt Gen Yusaf Khan October 1998August 2000
13Lt Gen Syed Mohammad AmjadAugust 2000April 2002
14Lt Gen Shahid Siddiq TirmiziApril 2002September 2003
15Lt Gen Mohammad AkramSeptember 2003October 2004
16Lt Gen Afzal MuzaffarOctober 2004May 2005
17Lt Gen Syed Sabahat HussainMay 2005April 2006
18Lt Gen Sikandar AfzalApril 2006November 2009
19Lt Gen Shafqat AhmedNovember 2009November 2012
20Lt Gen Abid ParvaizNovember 2012April 2015
21Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad April 2015December 2016
22Lt Gen Sarfraz Sattar December 2016September 2017
23Lt Gen Abdullah DogarSeptember 2017September 2018
24Lt Gen Muhammad Naeem AshrafSeptember 2018December 2020
25Lt Gen Waseem AshrafDecember 2020September 2021
26Lt Gen Chiragh HaiderSeptember 2021October 2022
27Lt Gen Akhtar NawazOctober 2022October 2024
28Lt Gen Ahsan GulrezOctober 2024Incumbent

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References

  1. 1 2 Riza, Shaukat (1977). The Pakistan Army (1966-71), by Maj Gen (Retd) Shaukat Riza. ISBN   9788185019611.
  2. ↑ "Pakistan Army makes top level transfers and postings, several Corps Commanders reshuffled". timesofislamabad.com. 24 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Strategic Reserves of Pakistan" (pdf). Centre for Land Warfare Studies. 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 Global Security
  5. ↑ Khan, Gul Hassan Khan (1993). Memoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan. Lahore: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-577447-4.
  6. 1 2 Basit, A. (1997). The breaking of Pakistan. Lahore: Liberty Pubsihers.
  7. 1 2 3 Brian Cloughley- A History of the Pakistan Army, ISBN   0-19-579507-5 Page 205-207.
  8. ↑ Brian Cloughley- A History of the Pakistan Army, ISBN   0-19-579507-5 Page 206.
  9. ↑ Brian Cloughley- A History of the Pakistan Army, ISBN   0-19-579507-5, Page 200.
  10. ↑ Daily Times Article
  11. ↑ "FATA Timeline 2017".
  12. ↑ "Pakistan redeploying troops to Indian border - Yahoo! News". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008.

Further reading

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