XXX Corps (Pakistan)

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 where, along with PAF's Eastern Air Command and Navy's Eastern Naval Command. It is currently commanded by Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif, who is designated as Core-commander of the 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

1. Lt Gen Imtiaz Waraich, July 1987 – March 1988
2. Lt Gen Pir Dad Khan, March 1988 – November 1990
3. Lt Gen Chaudhry Sardar Ali, November 1990 - May 1992
4. Lt Gen Hamid Niaz, May 1992 - May 1993
5. Lt Gen Mohammad Tariq, May 1993 – August 1995
6. Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, August 1995 – February 1996
7. Lt Gen Ziauddin Butt, February 1996 – March 1997
8. Lt Gen Naeem Akbar Khan, March 1997 – April 1998
9. Lt Gen Agha Jehangir Khan, April 1998 – January 2001
10. Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, January 2001 – October 2001
11. Lt Gen Faiz Jilani Malik, October 2001 – March 2003
12. Lt Gen Khalid Munir Khan, March 2003 – January 2004
13. Lt Gen Javed Hassan, January 2004 – October 2004
14. Lt Gen Mohammad Sabir, October 2004 – September 2005
15. Lt Gen Anis Ahmed Abbasi, September 2005 – April 2007
16. Lt Gen Waseem Ahmad Ashraf, April 2007 – October 2008
17. Lt Gen Nadeem Taj, October 2008 – April 2010
18. Lt Gen Jamil Haider, April 2010 – October 2010
19. Lt Gen Raheel Sharif, October 2010 – 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 Parachute, and 115 Brigades. Attached were Changez Force and 124 Brigade from 33rd Infantry Division.^[3]
  • 15th Infantry Division, Sialkot
  • 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade, Rawalpindi

References