Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)

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The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army.The Army‘s most senior fighting arm is the Punjab Regiment. In fact, two battalions of the Punjab Regiment are the senior most in the sub-continent. Three other were also raised in the 18th century, and most have a history extending back more than a century.

1 History
2 Recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider
3 Today
4 Prominent General Officers from the Punjab Regiment
5 Further reading
6 Alliances
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] History

In 1947 the British Government announced the Independence and partition of the sub-continent between Pakistan and India. British Indian Army was divided also. Battalions of the Punjab Regiments were also divided between Pakistan and India. Out of six regiments, 1st Punjab, 8 Punjab, 14 Punjab, 15 Punjab and 16 Punjab were allotted to Pakistan Army and 2nd Punjab to Indian Army The Punjab Regiment was formed in 1956 when four of the five Punjab Regiments were allocated to Pakistan.

[edit] Punjabi Regiments allocated to Pakistan

1st Punjab Regiment
14th Punjab Regiment
15th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment

[edit] Punjabi Regiments allocated to India

2nd Punjab Regiment

1st Punjab regimental center was located at Jehlum. In early September 1947 Pakistani personnel arrived from 2nd Punjab regimental center Meerut and Indian personnel (Sikhs) were dispatched to 11 Sikh RC and Rajputs to 6 Rajputana Rifle Center.

The Punjab regiment at its height totalled 58 battalions; however, 11 were transferred in 1980 to the Sindh Regiment.

[edit] Class & Religious Composition before 1947

Punjabi Muslims 50%; Sikhs 25%; Rajputs 25%. Pathans later replaced the Sikhs and Rajputs.

[edit] Recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider

4 members of the Regiment have received the highest gallantry award "Nishan-e-Haider" (Sign Of the Lion) for showing an incredible amount of valor and courage on the battle field in the face of staunch adversity, these are as follows:

Note: honorary title as a sign of respect: Shaheed meaning martyr for deceased recipients and Ghazi meaning victor for living recipients.

Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (1910–July 27, 1948)
Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed (1914–August 7, 1958)
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (1928–September 10, 1965)
Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed (1944–December 17, 1971)

The Nishan-e-Haider (Sign of the Lion) has been awarded to only 10 soldiers 4 of whom are from the Punjab Regiment. Despite Pakistan having been involved in 3 wars...

...And a major conflict in Kargil with India during the summer of 1999 which is classed as a war by many.

[edit] Today

Presently the Punjab Regiment is the largest regiment of the Pakistan Army with 47 battalions and one of the most feared in South Asia.

[edit] Prominent General Officers from the Punjab Regiment

Field Marshal Ayub Khan
General Mohd Sharif
Lt Gen M Attiqur Rahman
Lt Gen Mujib-ur-Rehman
Lt Gen Ahmad Shamim Khan
Lt Gen Naseer Akhtar
Maj Gen Muhammad Mushtaq HI(M)
Maj Gen Asif Duraiz Akhtar HI(M)

[edit] Further reading

A complete history of the Punjab Regiment was written by Brig. Gen. Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi (Ret.), entitled "Veteran campaigners: a history of the Punjab Regiment, 1759-1981 (Pakistan Army)." It was published by Wajidalis in 1984.