I 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. The I Strike Corps is one the oldest and major formation of Pakistan Army, and a major component of Northern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces.

Active in Indo-Pakistan wars, the I Strike Corps subordinated administrative units played an integral role in Kargil war, and also served in current War in North-West Pakistan. Its Core-Commander, Lieutenant-General Tariq Khan, is internationally known and distinguished for his leadership abilities in War in North-West Pakistan.

History
The corps headquarters was raised in Abbottabad in 1957. Lt Gen Azam Khan was its first commander. It was the first Pakistani corps ever to take to the field.

1965 War
During the 1965 war, the corps was one of two corps in action. It commanded all Pakistani troops north of Lahore and in Kashmir. During this time however, because of the sheer number of formations under its command, (8 divisions), it was found easier to split the formations into corps level task-forces, as a result in the '65 war it acted essentially as a Field Army.

1971 war
I Corps began the 1971 war with a force of two divisions forward supported by an armoured brigade, holding the Shakargarh salient. 15th Infantry Division was on the left side of the corps' frontage around Sialkot, 8th Infantry Division on the right east of the Degh Nadi, and 8th Armoured Brigade in support. Further back, but titularly part of the corps, was Pakistan's Army Reserve North of 6th Armoured Division and 17th Infantry Division. India planned a major attack in the sector, managed by I Corps, but when the war broke out, the lead Indian formation, 54th Infantry Division only managed to advance a few miles - a total of eight miles in two weeks of operations.

Meanwhile, while the Indian attacks went on, the reserve formations did little. 6th Armoured Division remained near Pasrur waiting for orders, while 17th Infantry Division had significant detachments sent off to 23rd Infantry Division on the left and IV Corps on the right.

Yet the fighting in Shakargarh, while ultimately successful as the Indian aims were thwarted, resulted in 8th Armoured Brigade's heavy loss of armour and some territory was also lost. As a result its commander, Lt Gen Irshad Khan, was recommended for court martial and dismissal; this was ultimately not carried out.

List of commanders

 * 1) Lt Gen Azam Khan, July 1957 – ??
 * 2) Lt Gen Bakhtiar Rana, 1958–1966
 * 3) Lt Gen Abdul Hamid Khan, 1966 – March 1969
 * 4) Lt Gen Attiqur Rahman, August 1969 – February 1970
 * 5) Lt Gen Irshad Ahmed Khan, February 1970 – 1972
 * 6) Lt Gen Abdul Ali Malik, 1972–1974
 * 7) Lt Gen Azmat Bakhsh Awan, 1974 – March 1976
 * 8) Lt Gen Ghulam Hassan Khan, March 1976 – April 1980
 * 9) Lt Gen Ejaz Azim, April 1980 – April 1981
 * 10) Lt Gen Shamsur Rahman Kallue,
 * 11) Lt Gen Muhammad Safdar, September 1985 – August 1987
 * 12) Lt Gen Zulfiqar Akhtar Naz, March 1988 – May 1992
 * 13) Lt Gen Khalid Latif Mughal, May 1992 – October 1995
 * 14) Lt Gen Pervez Musharraf, October 1995 – October 1998
 * 15) Lt Gen Saleem Haider, October 1998 – September 1999
 * 16) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, September 1999 – April 2001
 * 17) Lt Gen Ghulam Mustafa, April 2001 – April 2002
 * 18) Lt Gen Javed Alam Khan, April 2002 – April 2006
 * 19) Lt Gen Sajjad Akram, April 2006 – April 2008
 * 20) Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmad, April 2008 – April 2010
 * 21) Lt Gen Muhammad Mustafa Khan, April 2010 – October 2010
 * 22) Lt Gen Tariq Khan, October 2010 – present

Present day and order of battle
The corps has not been in action since 1971, though its subordinate units have served on the Line of Control and the war on terror, on secondment to other formations. Its ORBAT is:


 * HQ I Corps, Mangla
 * 6th Armoured Division, Kharian
 * 17th Infantry Division, Kharian
 * 37th Infantry Division, Gujranwala