IV Corps (Pakistan)
Encyclopedia
The IV Corps is one of military administrative corps of Pakistan Army
. Having established in 1965 after the Indo-Pakistani September War
, it is currently stationed in Lahore
, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its current core commander is Lieutenant-General Rashad Mahmood.
would be raised in the late 1950s, it was found that the organisation was unwieldy, and thus orders for a second corps and a Field Army to control the two corps were given, the army was later disbanded.
; it would be commanded directly from GHQ rather than from its own headquarters. Although it along with other forces assembled managed to repel the Indian attack, the lack of a fully functional corps HQ was felt.
Later the formation was one of two Pakistani corps at Chawinda
, where it came under the effective control of the Pakistani commander in the sector; Tikka Khan
. IV Corps artillery which was the only organic IV Corps formation to have fully stood up before the war would play a major part in the battle, and its performance was deemed to have been the decisive factor in the battle.
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. Having established in 1965 after the Indo-Pakistani September War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
, it is currently stationed in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its current core commander is Lieutenant-General Rashad Mahmood.
History
The corps was formed in 1965 and was the second corps level formation created by Pakistan Army. After independence, Pakistan had an organisation whereby all divisions were controlled directly by General Headquarters. Although a CorpsI Corps (Pakistan)
The I Corps, also known as I Strike Corps, of the Pakistan Army headquartered in Mangla, Azad Kashimir Province of Pakistan. Known as I Strike Corps, it is one of two strike corps within its ten manouvre Army corps...
would be raised in the late 1950s, it was found that the organisation was unwieldy, and thus orders for a second corps and a Field Army to control the two corps were given, the army was later disbanded.
1965 War
The Corps and its assigned assets were still under the process of raising when war came. As a result it was in a unique position when it faced the Indian thrust at LahoreBattle of Lahore
The Battle of Lahore or the Lahore Front were a series of battles in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 fought in around Lahore. The battle ended with an Indian tactical victory however Indian forces stopped their assault on Lahore once they had reached outskirts of the city having captured Burki...
; it would be commanded directly from GHQ rather than from its own headquarters. Although it along with other forces assembled managed to repel the Indian attack, the lack of a fully functional corps HQ was felt.
Later the formation was one of two Pakistani corps at Chawinda
Battle of Chawinda
The Battle of Chawinda was a part of the Sialkot Campaign in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was one of the largest tank battles since the Battle of Kursk in World War II....
, where it came under the effective control of the Pakistani commander in the sector; Tikka Khan
Tikka Khan
General Tikka Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, was a senior four-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as the first Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from 3 March 1972 to 1 March 1976. Before his four-star assignment, Khan was a Martial Law Administrator of erstwhile East-Pakistan...
. IV Corps artillery which was the only organic IV Corps formation to have fully stood up before the war would play a major part in the battle, and its performance was deemed to have been the decisive factor in the battle.
1971 War
Immediately after the war, the corps was fully stood up. In 1971 it would go to war again, under command of Lt.Gen Bahadur Sher. With two divisions under command it would see skirmishes on the Wagha border area, and later it would capture the Husseinwala district in India, including Qaisar-e-Hind Fort.List of commanders
- Lt Gen Attiqur Rahman, 1966 – August 1969
- Lt Gen Tikka KhanTikka KhanGeneral Tikka Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, was a senior four-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as the first Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from 3 March 1972 to 1 March 1976. Before his four-star assignment, Khan was a Martial Law Administrator of erstwhile East-Pakistan...
, August 1969 – March 1971 - Lt Gen Bahadur Sher, March 1971 – January 1972
- Lt Gen Abdul Hameed Khan, January 1972–1974
- Lt Gen Iqbal KhanIqbal Khan (general)General Muhammad Iqbal Khan, NI, SBt, is a former four star general of the Pakistan Army who stayed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1980 to 1984 during the martial regime of Chief Martial Law Administrator and Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army General Zia-ul-Haq...
, March 1976 – January 1978 - Lt Gen Sawar KhanSawar KhanGeneral Mohammad Sawar Khan, NI is an ex-four-star general of the Pakistan Army who was the Governor of the largest province, Punjab and the Vice Chief of Army Staff during the era of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq when Zia was simultaneously the chief of army staff and the President of...
, January 1978 – March 1980 - Lt Gen Sirdar Farooq Shaukat Khan Lodi, March 1980 – March 1984
- Lt Gen Mohammad Aslam Shah, March 1984 – March 1988
- Lt Gen Alam Jan Mahsud, March 1988 – July 1990
- Lt Gen Mohammad Ashraf, July 1990 – January 1993
- Lt Gen Humayun Khan Bangash, January 1993 – January 1996
- Lt Gen Moinuddin HaiderMoinuddin HaiderMoinuddin Haider, HI is a retired lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army, who after retirement served as the Governor of Sindh and then as the Interior Minister of Pakistan.-Army career:...
, January 1996 – March 1997 - Lt Gen Mohammad Akram, March 1997 – October 1998
- Lt Gen Khalid MaqboolKhalid MaqboolLieutenant General Khalid Maqbool Vohra, , , is a career Pakistan Army officer was the longest serving Governor of Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan, under the General Pervez Musharraf government...
, October 1998 – August 2000 - Lt Gen Aziz Khan, August 2000 – October 2001
- Lt Gen Zarrar Azim, October 2001 – December 2003
- Lt Gen Shahid Aziz, December 2003 – October 2005
- Lt Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah, October 2005 – March 2008
- Lt Gen Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi, March 2008 – April 2010
- Lt Gen Rashad Mahmood, April 2010 – present
Order of battle
The corps order of battle is.- Headquarters IV Corps: LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
- 10th Infantry Division: LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
- 11th Infantry Division11th Infantry Division (Pakistan)The 11th Infantry Division is an active formation of the Pakistan Army. It is currently deployed in Lahore as part of IV Corps, and is responsible for the defence of that city and the surrounding areas....
: LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a... - 3rd Independent Armoured Brigade: Unidentified Location. In June 1972 the brigade headquarters was located at the Changa MangaChanga MangaThe Changa Manga is a planted forest and a wildlife park in Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan.-Forestry:The forest is entered from a road from off the N-5 Highway near Bhai Pheru. The forest covers an area of and is one of the largest man-made forests on the planet...
Forest Rest House. - 212 Infantry Brigade: Unidentified Location. Reportedly possibly LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
- 10th Infantry Division: Lahore