Pakistan Army, December 3, 1971
v.1.0 August 26, 2001
Ravi Rikhye
This is an incomplete orbat compiled from several Pakistani and Indian sources. Many units were switched to different formations/sectors just before, during, and after the battle, so the orbat may not reconcile in all respects. Readers are welcome to add to it: please contact the Editor. We particularly are unable to reconcile reports of 53 Brigade in the west as well as its documented presence in the east.
Senior Commanders
General Tikka Khan [Commander-in-Chief]
Major General M. Rahim Khan [Chief General Staff]
Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi [GOC Eastern Command, Dacca]
Summary
Pakistan had three corps (I, II, IV) in the west, and a de facto corps in the east. The east had three divisions, plus two ad hoc divisions were raised without any real increase in strength except for 5 of 8 promised infantry battalions that arrived at the last minute. In the west, Pakistan kept four divisions in reserve against the possibility of a longer war. It had 12 divisions in all in this theatre plus three independent armored brigades. Its 12 Division in Kashmir was overstrength. Pakistan raised many new units in 1971, inlcuding several at the very last minute, in October, in anticipation of war. Its effective strength was, therefore, less than what the orbat may indicate.
|
Formation/Unit |
Comment |
|
18 Division (Hyderabad - peace station) |
|
|
Major General M. Mustafa |
|
|
38 Cavalry |
Raised October 71; attached 206 Brigade; Shermans |
|
Attacked Barmer/Jaiselmer |
|
-- 2 infantry battalions |
|
|
-- 22 Cavalry |
Lost 17 tanks to IAF Hunter fighter attacks |
|
|
|
Indian frontier, fell back on Naya Chor |
|
|
|
|
33 Division |
|
|
|
|
Attacked Barmer/Jaiselmer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
IV Corps (Lahore) |
|
|
3 (I) Armored Brigade (Lahore) |
As of end December 1971; IV Corps reserve |
|
15 Lancers |
Ex- IV Corps Reconnaissance Regiment |
|
4 Cavalry |
M48, ex 11 Division |
|
1 Frontier Force |
|
|
52 Baluch |
New battalion |
|
16 (SP) Field Regiment |
|
|
10 Division (Lahore) |
|
|
11 Division (Lahore) |
|
|
|
|
|
I Corps |
|
|
Lt.-Gen. Irshad Ahmad Khan |
|
|
8 (I) Armored Brigade [Brig. Mohmd. Khan] |
Raised 1970; Corps Reserve |
|
- 13 Lancers |
|
|
- 27 Cavalry |
|
|
- 31 Cavalry |
|
|
- 29 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 15 (SP) Field Regiment |
|
|
124 Brigade |
Reserve brigade 33 Division; assigned December 9 |
|
- 27 Cavalry |
From 8 (I) Armored Brigade |
|
- 35 Frontier Force [Lt.-Col. Akram Raja] |
The CO, 2 I/C, Adjutant, & 80 officers and OR were killed in a gallant but futile charge under the guns of Indian 4 Horse. New battalion |
|
Changez Force [Brig. Nisar] |
Ad hoc force to slow advance of Indian I Corps; Shakergarh sector |
|
- 20 Lancers |
I Corps Recconaissance Regiment; Sherman, M36 |
|
- 33 Cavalry |
8 Division tank regiment; M47/48 |
|
- 13 Punjab |
|
|
6 Armored Division |
Strategic Reserve; did not enter battle |
|
17 Division |
Strategic Reserve; did not enter battle |
|
8 Division [Maj.-Gen. Akhtar Hussain Malik] |
|
|
- 14 (Parachute) Brigade |
Historical/symbolic title; a straight infantry brigade |
|
- 24 Brigade |
|
|
15 Division [Maj.-Gen. Abid Ali Zahid] |
|
|
|
|
|
23 Division |
Chaamb attack; 5 infantry, 1 armored brigade assigned |
|
Maj.-Gen. Eftikhar |
One of best Pakistan commanders; killed when command helio downed |
|
19 Baluch (R & S) |
Reconnaisance and Support Battalion |
|
26 Cavalry |
Division integral regiment; Shermans |
|
11 Cavalry Group |
11 Cavalry Regiment (T59) plus a tank squadron; |
|
2 (I) Armored Brigade |
|
|
- 28 Cavalry |
31 tanks TO |
|
- 12 Independent Armored Squadron |
M48/M36 |
|
- 13 Azad Kashmir Battalion |
From 4 AK Brigade |
|
4 Azad Kashmir Brigade [Brig. Basharat Raja] |
|
|
- 6 Azad Kashmir Battalion |
|
|
- 47 Punjab |
Raised March/April 1971 |
|
7 Azad Kashmir Brigade |
|
|
20 Brigade |
|
|
66 Brigade |
Ex- 17 Division |
|
111 Brigade |
|
|
4 Punjab |
Brigade affiliation not identified as yet |
|
33 Frontier Force |
Brigade affiliation not identified as yet; raised March/April 1971 |
|
42 Punjab |
Brigade affiliation not identified as yet; raised March/April 1971 |
|
|
|
|
II Corps (Multan) |
|
|
1 Armored Division |
Strategic reserve; did not enter combat; offensive planned December 18 |
|
7 Infantry Division |
Strategic reserve; did not enter combat; offensive planned December 18 |
|
|
|
|
12 Division [Muzaffarabad] |
Also called 12 AK Division (AK=Azad Kashmir, i.e., Free Kashmir) |
|
1 AK Brigade |
|
|
2 AK Brigade |
|
|
3 AK Brigade |
|
|
5 AK Brigade |
|
|
6 AK Brigade |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eastern Command |
5 divisions (2 Ad Hoc, only 5 new bns arrived); 14 brigades (4 Ad Hoc) |
|
- 4 Army Aviation Squadron [LTC L.A. Bukhari] |
6 Mi-8, 6 Alouette 3; escaped to Burma |
|
- 6 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment |
|
|
- Three signals battalions |
One or two may have belonged to divisions |
|
9 Division [MG M.H. Ansari] (Jessore) |
Sent from Mardan May 1971 |
|
- 49 Field Regiment |
|
|
- 55 Field Regiment |
|
|
- 211 (I) Mortar Battery |
|
|
57 Brigade [Brig. Mazoor Ahmad] (Jhenida) |
|
|
- 18 Punjab |
|
|
- 20 Baluch |
|
|
- 50 Baluch |
|
|
- ?/29 Cavalry |
|
|
107 Brigade [Brig. Malik Hayat Khan] (Khulna) |
|
|
- 6 Punjab |
|
|
- 12 Punjab |
|
|
- 15 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 21 Punjab (R & S) (two companies) |
|
|
- 22 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 38 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 55 Field Regiment |
15 guns only |
|
- 7 Engineer Company |
From 10 Engineer Battalion |
|
- Two M24 Chaffee tanks |
|
|
14 Division [MG Qazi Abdul Majid] (Dacca) |
Permenently stationed Eastern Command |
|
- 22 Baluch |
Assignment yet to be determined |
|
- ? Tochi Scouts |
Assignment yet to be determined; Frontier Corps |
|
17 Brigade (Comilla) |
|
|
27 Brigade [Brig. Saadullah] |
|
|
202 Brigade [Brig. Brig. Salimullah] (Sylhet) |
Ad hoc brigade; battalions assigned from other brigades |
|
- 11 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 30 Frontier Force |
60 km front as opposed to normal 4 km |
|
- 31 Punjab |
55 km front as opposed to normal 4 km |
|
313 Brigade [Brig. Rana] |
|
|
16 Division [MG Nazar Hussain Shah] |
Sent from West May 1971 |
|
23 Brigade [Brig. Saeed Akhtar Ansari] |
Dinajpur-Rangpur |
|
107 Brigade [Brig. Naeem] |
3 battalions |
|
205 Brigade [Brig. Tajjamal Hussain Malik] |
Hilli; also Field Regt; Mortar Battery; Tank Sqdn; Elements R&S Bn |
|
- 4 Frontier Force |
|
|
- 13 Frontier Force |
|
|
36 Division [MG Jamshed] |
Ad Hoc division: no increase in strength; only one Bde HQ and 2 Bns |
|
93 Brigade [Brig. Qadir Niazi] (Mymensingh) |
|
|
- 31 Baluch |
|
|
- 33 Punjab |
|
|
39 Division [MG Rahim Khan] |
Ad Hoc Division: no increase in strength |
|
53 Brigade [Brig. Aslam Niazi] (Comilla/Chittagong) |
|
|
117 Brigade [Brig. M.H. Atif] |
Former Olympic Hockey Gold Medallist |
|
|
|
|
314 Brigade [COL Fazal Hamid] |
Ad hoc, no increase in stsrength; yet to be placed |
|
91 (I) Brigade [Brig. Aata Malik] |
Yet to be placed |