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Frontier
Corps
It
is an historical fact that the tribes living in mountainous area West of
River Indus had preserved their independence against the forces of many
invading forces/rulers. When the Sikh Empire collapsed and Punjab was annexed by British on 29 Jan 1849, the areas comprising the present
North West Frontier Province, also came under their way.
It was a difficult task to subjugate the tribes even by the active
help/Support of the British. However, within another fifty years, many
expeditions were sent against them and some sort of hold was established. The
misadventure in Afghanistan by the British in the Second
Afghan War of 1878-80 led to the demarcation of the Durand Line.
The
demarcation of Durand Line increased the responsibilities of the British. By
that time, they had already established Khyber Agency in 1878, Kurram Agency
in 1892 and the Malakand, North and South Waziristan Agencies were
established in 1895-96. These administrative agencies in the area had their
own units of Militia and Scouts, namely, the Khyber Rifles (1878), Zhob
Militia (1883) the Kurram Militia (1892), Tochi Scouts (1894), Chagai Militia
(1896). South Waziristan Scouts (1900) and Chitral Scouts (1903). Various
Frontier Corps Force (PIFFERS) units of the Frontier Army force also remained
stationed at Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Mardan etc in
support of the Scouts.
The
arrival in India of Lord Curzon as Viceroy and Governor General in 1899
brought at a change in the policy about the border tribes. He entrusted the
job of the PIFFERS to the Scouts and Militia Units. According to a unique
tradition, the PIFFER Units and Scouts, used to accept LRC (Last Ration
Certificate) of each others personnel despite different accounting systems.
These units had been raised in different areas and organised according to
local requirements. With the new role, an organisation for coordination was
felt necessary. As such a separate Headquarters was created in 1907. The new
organisation that was called the Frontier Corps initially comprised the
above-mentioned seven units. An inspecting officer with the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel was appointed as head of the Frontier Corps. His
job was to coordinate the activities of the Militia and Scouts and also to
re-organise these units in the light of new responsibilities. The offices of
the Inspecting officers and IGFC’s used to be in a building near the
present Provincial Assembly Hall. These were later shifted to Bala Hisar Fort
in 1949. The first Inspecting Officer was Colonel W.C Barrett, DSO.
In 1943, the
designation of Inspecting Officer Frontier Corps, was changed to the
Inspector General and Secretary, Frontier Corps (NWFP), with the rank of a
Brigadier whose jurisdiction stretched from Skardu in Northern Area to NWFP,
Baluchistan and down to sea coast of Mekran. By then, the First Mahsud
Scouts, raised in 1937, had also been included in the Frontier Corps. In
later years, the Second Mahsud Scouts (1944), the Pishin Scouts (1946), the
Thall Scouts (1948), the Northern Scouts (1949), the Bajaur Scouts (1961),
the Karakoram Scouts (1964), the Kalat Scouts (1965) and Dir Scouts (1970)
were also added. The Kohistan Scouts, were raised on 31st December 1977 at
Fort Milward by Major Abdul Qadir Khan but disbanded in 1981. When as a
result of one-unit, the province of West Pakistan, was created in 1955, the
word “Secretary” was dropped.
By
1947 the Frontier Corps had further increased in strength and had become a
very big force looking after the area from the Karakoram in the North to the
Mekran Coast in the South. The area of responsibility was well over 2500
miles in length. It was, therefore, decided to bifurcate the Frontier Corps.
The units stationed in Northern Areas Skardu/Gilgit directly came under the
Army, and Baluchistan province came under Frontier Corps (Baluchistan) with
Headquarters at Quetta and headed by its IGFC. These units included Zhob
Militia, Sibi Scouts, Kalat Scouts, Mekran Militia, Kharan Rifles, Pishin
Scouts, Chaghai Militia and First Mahsud Scouts which were re-named as
Maiwand Rifles, Ghazaband Scouts, Bhambore Rifles, Kharan Rifles and Loralai
Scouts were also raised later on. Mekran Militia which had ceased to exist in
early sixties was also re-raised. The units serving in the North West
Frontier Province came under Frontier Corps (NWFP) with Headquarters at
Peshawar. Second Mahsud Scouts became Mahsud Scouts. Mohmand Rifles and
Shawal Rifles were raised later on. The following Pakistani IGFC’s have
commanded so far:
- Brig Ahmad Jan, MBE
(1950-51)
- Brig K A Rahim Khan
(1951-53)
- Brig Bakhtiar Rana,
MC (1953-55)
- Brig Sadiq Ullah Khan, M.C (1955-58)
- Brig Rahman Gul,
SQA, S, K, MC (1958-63)
- Brig Sadiq Ullah Khan, MC (1964-64)
- Brig Bahadur Sher,
MC (1964-66)
- Brig Mahboob Khan, TQA
(1966-69)
- Brig Mahmud Jan, SQA
(1969-71)
- Maj. Gen. Sherin Dil
Khan Niazi (1971-72)
- Brig Iftikhar e
Bashir (1972)
- Brig Nasir Ullah Khan Babar, SJ & Bar
(1972-74)
- Brig Ghulam Rabbani Khan, HI (M), S.Bt
(1974-78)
- Maj. Gen. Agha Zulfiqar Ali Khan, HI(M) (1978-81)
- Maj. Gen. Mian
Muhammad Afzal, HI(M) (1982-84)
- Maj. Gen. M. Arif
Bangash, S.Bt (1984-86)
- Maj. Gen. Mohammad
Shafiq, HI(M), S.Bt (1986-88)
- Maj. Gen. Ghazi ud Din Rana, S.Bt (1988-90)
- Maj. Gen. Humayun Khan Bangash, T.Bt (1990-91)
- Maj. Gen. Muhammad Naeem Akbar Khan (1991-92)
- Maj. Gen. Mumtaz Gul, T.Bt (1992-94)
- Maj. Gen. Fazal
Ghafoor, S.Bt (1994-97)
- Maj. Gen. Sultan Habib, HI(M), (1997-todate)
It is worth mentioning that Brigadier Sadiq Ullah
Khan, MC had the distinction of serving twice, as IGFC from 1955 to 1958 and
1963 to 1964. Similarly Brigadier (Now Lt. Gen. Retd) Bakhtiar Rana (1953-55)
and Major General Ghazi ud Rana (1988-90) were the only father and son to
have remained IGFC’s of the Frontier Corps.
The Militias and Scouts of the Frontier Corps are
as such: (Click on them to get more info)
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