Frontier Force Regiment
Frontier Force Regiment | |
---|---|
Active | 1843–present (59th Scinde Rifles) |
Country | British East India Company (1843–1858) British India (1858–1947) Pakistan (1947–present) |
Branch | |
Type | Infantry |
Role | |
Size | 52 battalions[citation needed] |
Regimental centre | Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Nickname(s) | 'Piffers' |
Motto(s) | Arabic: لَبَّيْكَ (transl. 'I am here') (Talbiyah) |
Colours[1] | |
March | The Hundred Pipers (traditional) |
Anniversaries | Defence Day: 6 September Piffer Week[2] |
Engagements[1] |
|
Commanders | |
HI(M) | |
Notable commanders |
|
The Frontier Force Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army. They are popularly known as the Piffers in reference to their military history as the PIF (Punjab Irregular Force) of the British Indian Army, or as the FF (Frontier Force). The regiment takes its name from the historic North-West Frontier, a former province of British India and later Pakistan (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
Most of the regiment's ancestral military formations were units composed of infantry of either Punjabi or Pathan origin. However, the oldest unit of the regiment is the Scinde Camel Corps, raised in 1843 under Company rule in India. Another ancestral unit was the infantry component of the British Indian Army Corps of Guides (partial cavalry unit). Despite being a Pakistani regiment, the Frontier Force Regiment is also the successor to several Sikh regiments due to their widespread deployments in the North-West Frontier during the British Raj.
Presently, the regiment consists of 52 battalions,[citation needed] with its regimental centre located in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[3] Due to this regiment's presence, Abbottabad is also locally known as the "Home of the Piffers".[4][5] In its current form, the Frontier Force Regiment consists of both mechanized and motorized infantry battalions; there are also some armoured and artillery battalions which were raised from the ranks of the Frontier Force or one of its predecessor regiments.
The modern Frontier Force is Pakistan's third-oldest military regiment in terms of the date of most recent amalgamation, behind the Punjab and Baloch regiments. The regiment was raised in its current form in 1957, through the amalgamation of two (with a later third component) former British Indian Army regiments: the 12th Frontier Force Regiment and the 13th Frontier Force Rifles.[6] The third component, the Pathan Regiment, had been raised from the elements of the former two. The regiments' merger took place when a major formation reorganization was carried out in the Pakistan Army.[3]
Battalions of the Frontier Force Regiment have seen extensive wartime combat with neighbouring
The battalions are divided under independent formations and are commanded by their formation commander. Training and record-keeping is undertaken by the regimental depot, which is usually directed by a
Origins
The Frontier Force Regiment came into being in 1957 with the amalgamation of the
The Pathan Regiment was raised after independence from the 4th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment and the 4th and 15th Battalions of the Frontier Force Rifles. Initially the regimental depot was at Dera Ismail Khan but it relocated to Kohat in 1949 and was later merged into the Frontier Force Regiment with its regimental depot at Abbottabad.[9] Fifteen of the modern Frontier Force Regiment's 52 battalions trace their origins back to British Indian Army units, as tabulated below.
Battalion | Founder units |
---|---|
1st | 6th Royal Bn Frontier Force Rifles; 59th Royal Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force) - Mechanised infantry (Mounted Rifles) |
2nd | 5th Bn Frontier Force Regiment; 1st Bn QVO Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) Lumsden's Infantry - Infantry Scouts |
3rd | 1st Bn (PWO Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment; 51st The Prince of Wales' Own Sikhs (Frontier Force) - Line Infantry Rifles |
4th | 2nd Bn (Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment; 52nd Sikhs (Frontier Force) - Mountain Infantry Rifles |
5th | 3rd Royal Bn (Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment; 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force) - Anti-Tank |
6th | 4th Bn (Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment; 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force) - Paratroop Battalion |
7th | 1st Bn Frontier Force Rifles; 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) - Line Infantry Rifles |
8th | 2nd Punjab Infantry, 2/13 Frontier Force Rifles, 56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force) - Line Infantry Rifles, Commonly known as BHAIBANDS |
9th | 4th Bn Frontier Force Rifles; 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force) - Mechanised Infantry (Mounted Rifles) |
10th | 5th Bn Frontier Force Rifles; 58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force) - Mountain Infantry |
11th | 1st Bn Pathan Regiment; 14th Bn Frontier Force Regiment; 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force) - Heavy Support (Mortar) - Mechanised Infantry |
12th | 3rd Bn Pathan Regiment; 15th Bn Frontier Force Rifles - Mountain Infantry |
13th | 8th Bn Frontier Force Regiment - Mechanised Infantry |
14th | 9th Bn Frontier Force Regiment[A] - Heavy Support (Anti-Materiel & Anti-Tank) |
15th | 2nd Bn Pathan Regiment; 4th Bn Frontier Force Rifles; 57th Wilde's Rifles - Mechanised (Mounted Rifles) Infantry & Anti-Aircraft Support |
Note: The 10th (Training) Battalion of the original Frontier Force Regiment (originally raised as 2nd Battalion QVO Corps of Guides during World War I) became the Regimental Centre of the new merged regiment.[10]
A At the end of World War II the war-raised 9th Battalion, instead of being disbanded, was used to re-form the 2nd Battalion (Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment which had been annihilated in Malaya during the war. On 1 October 1948 a new 9th Battalion was raised and it was this unit which was to become the 14th Battalion of the merged regiment.[10] |
Composition
At present, the Frontier Force Regiment musters 67
Headquarters
The regiment is currently based in
Kashmir dispute
Since
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Concerned by what it saw as Indian attempts to absorb the disputed region of Kashmir, in 1965 Pakistan launched
The Frontier Force Regiment's units participated in the war in all active sectors along the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
In 1971, following a divisive election result, civil war broke out in the former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) between the West Pakistani administrative authorities and the majority local population. India, to where many of East Pakistan's exiled political leaders and refugees from the fighting had fled, provided support for the dissidents including arming and training a Bangladeshi irregular force (the Mukti Bahini).[36] To relieve pressure on their forces in the east, in December 1971 Pakistani forces launched a pre-emptive attack on India from the west, which was only partially successful and met with massive retaliation. Fighting on two fronts, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire after the surrender of her forces in the east and territorial losses in the west (later ceded back to Pakistan following the 1972 Simla Agreement).[37][38]
Piffer units fought in both east and west. The 31st FF, Pakistan's first
In West Pakistan, the 11th Cavalry saw heavy fighting in the Chhamb sector. The 2nd FF Battalion, while defending Shisabladi post at Kashmir sector, drove back an Indian brigade.[41] Along with 2nd FF 3rd, 5th, 17th and 33rd FF also operated in the Kashmir sector. In the Sialkot sector, the 19th, 23rd, 27th, 29th, 35th and 37th FF took part in fighting. The 35th FF Battalion suffered heavy casualties in an offensive at Jarpal, the area captured a day before.[42][43] An Indian commander, Lieutenant-Colonel V P Airy, of the 3rd Grenadier Guards who fought against 35th FF said: "35 FF's immortal attack won their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Akram Raja, a posthumous Hilal-i-Jur'at, with the highest compliment a gallant soldier could receive".[44] The 8th and 18th FF fought on the Lahore front. In the Sulemanki sector, the 6th FF gained fame when it captured the Beriwala Bridge on Sabuna Drain on 3 December[45] and repulsed five attempts by opposition forces to retake it.[46] Major Shabbir Sharif, a holder of the Sitara-e-Jurat from the 1965 conflict, was awarded a posthumous Nishan-e-Haider. The 36th FF also fought in the Sulemanki sector, and the 20th, 21st, and 39th FF saw action in the Rajhisthan sector.[47] After enemy offensive the 21st and 39th FF withdrew from Parbat Ali, a stronghold in that sector.[48][49]
Siachen conflict
As a result of a vague demarcation of territory in the 1972 Simla Accord, both Pakistan and India lay claim to the Siachen Glacier, which lies in the eastern Karakorum mountain range at altitudes of up to 18,875 feet (5,753 m). Following a period of tension, in April 1984 the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot with the aim of capturing the glacier.[50] Pakistan responded in kind, but Indian troops had already occupied the major mountain passes west of the glacier and captured many strategic points. Both countries established military posts, and from 1984 until 2003, intermittent fighting took place.[51] The conflict is remarkable for the harsh conditions under which it was fought—on average, one Pakistani soldier died every fourth day, with most of the casualties caused by the severe climate.[52][53]
A number of Piffer units were deployed to the world's highest battleground,
Kargil War
The town and district of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir lies on the Line of Control (LOC), the de facto border between Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. In May 1999 elements in the Pakistan Armed Forces covertly trained and sent troops and paramilitary forces into Indian territory. The aim was to sever the link between Kashmir and Ladakh, and cause Indian forces to withdraw from the Siachen Glacier, thus forcing India to negotiate a settlement of the broader Kashmir dispute.[56] The Kargil Conflict was triggered when Pakistan occupied around 130 Indian observation posts on the Indian side of the LOC. As India responded, regular Pakistan army units were called up.[57]
The 19th, 33rd, 38th and 44th FF Battalions, and some Piffer officers serving in Northern Light Infantry battalions, participated in the conflict.[58] In total four officers and twenty four other ranks were killed in action.[59] The war ended after the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, agreed to call the troops back on 4 July 1999, after meeting with U.S President Bill Clinton.[60]
International duty
Operations
The Frontier Force Regiment has served outside Pakistan in various multinational and peacekeeping roles. From 1981 to 1988, the Piffer's mechanised infantry battalions were stationed at
Pakistan formed part of the
Following the operation the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative, Admiral Jonathan Howe and UNOSOM Force Commander, Lieutenant General Çevik Bir appreciated Pakistani troops' efforts and thanked them for helping the US troops.[66] Major General Thomas M. Montgomery, Deputy Commander of the United Nations Forces in Somalia while praising Pakistani forces' said in a television interview, "Many of the soldiers are alive today because of the willingness and skill of the Pakistani soldiers who worked jointly in a rescue operation with Malaysian and American soldiers in most difficult and dangerous combat circumstances. Such splendid soldiers to Somalia who we feel proud to serve with. Pakistani soldiers have been completely dependable even in the most difficult circumstances. They have shouldered a huge and dangerous load for UNOSOM and the Somali people."[67]
Exercises
The 35th FF Battalion participated in
Commanders
Colonels in Chief
The officers of the regiment who are promoted to the designation of
- King George VI, 1937-1952
- General Muhammad Musa HJ, HPk, HQA, MBE
- General Abdul Waheed Kakar, HI (M), SBt. 18 May 1993 – 17 May 1997
- General Raheel Sharif, NI (M) 29 November 2013 – 29 November 2016
- General Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah, HI (M), 29th November 2023-present
Colonel Commandants
The Colonel Commandant is an honorary designation given to the highest-ranked officer in service of the regiment. The Colonel Commandants since the creation of the regiment are listed below:
Serial Number | Name | Decorations | Term of Appointment | Unit |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Major General Mian Hayaud Din | HJ, MBE, MC. | 8 May 1954 – 6 May 1956 | 6 FF & 14 FF |
2 | Lieutenant General Khalid Masud Sheikh. | HI (M) | 1 October 1957 – 30 June 1962 | 6 FF, 13 FF |
3 | General Muhammad Musa | HJ, HPk, HQA, MBE | 1 October 1962 – 5 February 1965 | 1 FF |
4 | Lieutenant General Altaf Qadir | MBE | 6 February 1965 – 27 August 1969 | 6 FF |
5 | Lieutenant General Attiqur Rahman | HPk, HQA, MC | 28 August 1969 – 19 November 1973 | 6 FF |
6 | General Muhammad Iqbal Khan | NI (M), HI (M), SBt | 21 August 1978 – 17 March 1985 | 2 FF |
7 | Lieutenant General Khushdil Khan Afridi | HI (M), SBt | 18 March 1985 – 6 January 1986 | 10 FF, 12 FF & 18 FF |
8 | Lieutenant General Ahmed Kamal Khan | HI (M), SI (M), SBt | 24 May 1987 – 23 May 1991 | 10 FF |
9 | Lieutenant General Imran Ullah Khan | HI (M), SI (M), SBt | 24 May 1991 – 22 May 1995 | 5 FF & 40 FF |
10 | Lieutenant General Mumtaz Gul | HI (M), TBt | 23 May 1995 – 24 April 1999 | 2 FF, 3 FF & 19 FF |
11 | Lieutenant General Tahir Ali Qureshi | HI (M), SBt | 10 May 1999 – 16 May 2001 | 13 FF |
12 | Lieutenant General Mushtaq Hussain | HI (M) | 17 May 2001 – | 4 FF & 18 FF |
13 | Lieutenant General Munir Hafiez | HI (M) | – October 2005 | 7 FF |
14 | Lieutenant General Syed Sabahat Hussain[74] | HI (M) | October 2005 – 5 May 2009 | 2 FF |
15 | Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha | HI (M) | 5 May 2009 – 19 March 2012 | 16 FF & 5 FF |
16 | Lieutenant General Alam Khattak | HI (M), TBt | 19 March 2012 – 4 October 2013 | 14 FF |
17 | Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal[75] | HI (M), TBt | 14 June 2014 – 15 May 2015 | 9 FF |
18 | Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar | HI (M) | 8 Oct 2015 - Sept 13, 2017 | 4 FF |
19 | Lieutenant General Ghayur Mahmood[76] | HI (M), TBt | 1 October 2017 - October 2018 | 18 FF |
20 | Lieutenant General Aamir Abbasi[77] | HI (M) | October 2018 - October 2021 | 4 FF |
21 | Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah
|
HI (M), Sword of Honour | October 2021 - till date | 23 FF |
Battle honours
Piffers have won many honours for their gallantry deeds in each battle. They were also awarded foreign medals before the
War | NH | HJ | SJ | TJ | Sitara-e-Basalat | Tamgha-e-Basalat
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1948 War | – | 3 | 9 | 166 | – | – |
1965 War | – | 2 | 284 | 313 | – | – |
1971 War | 2 | 2 | 34 | 44 | – | – |
Siachen | – | – | 133 | – | 133 | 144 |
Kargil | – | – | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Miscellaneous | – | – | 5 | – | 62 | 107 |
Total | 2 | 7 | 473 | 525 | 196 | 254 |
Nishan-e-Haider recipients
Nishan-e-Haider is the highest military award given posthumously for valour, in Pakistan. The recipients of Nishan-e-Haider from the Frontier Force Regiment are:
- Major Muhammad Akram (4th FF)
When the
- Major Shabbir Sharif (6th FF)
On 3 December 1971, Major Shabbir Sharif who was commanding a company of 6th FF Regiment near Sulemanki headworks, was assigned the task of capturing the high ground overlooking the Gurmukh Khera and Beriwala villages in the Sulemanki sector. On the opposite side India had more than a company of the Assam Regiment which was supported by a squadron of tanks. Also among the hurdles were an enemy minefield and a defensive canal, 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. Shabbir Sharif succeeded in capturing the area by early evening on 3 December. In this fight 43 Indian soldiers were killed, 28 were taken prisoner and four tanks were destroyed. Shabbir Sharif repelled repeated counterattacks by the opposing forces for the next three days and nights and kept strategically better position, holding two Indian battalions at bay. On the night of 5 December/ 6, during one of the enemy attacks, Sharif hopped out of his trench, killed the enemy Company Commander of 4th Jat Regiment and recovered important documents from his possession. In another attack on the morning of 6 December, Shabbir Sharif took over an anti-tank gun from his gunner, and while engaging enemy tanks, he was killed in action by a direct hit from a tank. Major Shabbir Sharif already a recipient of Sitara-e-Jurat, was posthumously awarded Nishan-e-Haider for his sacrifice.[79]
Hilal-i-Jur'at recipients
Hilal-i-Jur'at is the second highest military award given for valour to Armed forces personnel of Pakistan. Piffers who received Hilal-i-Jur'at are:
- Major General Mian Hayaud Din
- General Muhammad Musa
- Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Akram Raja (Shaheed)
Sitara-e-Jurat recipients
Sitara-e-Jurat is the third highest military award given for valour to Armed forces personnel of Pakistan. Piffers who received Sitara-e-Jurat are:
- Major Muhammad Akbar Khan for Taitwal Sector 1948 (First recipient of SJ of Pakistan)
- Second Lieutenant Shabbir Sharif of 6th FF (for Chhamb Sector 1965)
- Captain Abdul Jalil (Shaheed) of 12th FF (for Sector 4 Kalidhar 1965)
- Brig Mir Ijaz Mehmood (Tony) of
23rd FF (for Rajistan Sadehwala sector 1965)
- Brigadier Muhammad Yamin Khokhar of 13th FF & 23rd FF (1971 war)
- Lt Col Samin Jan Babar of 23rd FF
(SJ & Bar) (1965&1971)
- Captain Mujeeb Faqrullah Khan of 25th FFR (for Chamb-Jorian Sector 1971)
- Lt. Col. Khalid Nazir, 40th FF/12 NLI/SSG (Kargil Sector 1999)
- Capt Ammar Hussain Shaheed, 63rd FF- SSG (Kargil Sector 1999)
- Col Amir Nawaz Khan of 13th FF (1971 war)
VC recipients
The Victoria Cross is the highest battle order of Britain, awarded for valour. As the Frontier Force regiment still maintains the lineage of its predecessor regiments, so this award was received by following Piffers:[80]
- 1st Punjab Cavalry)
- General 2nd Punjab Cavalry)
- Captain Henry William Pitcher(1st Punjab Infantry (P.I.F))
- Lieutenant Walter Hamilton (Corps of Guides)
- 5th Punjab Cavalry)
- Lieutenant Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean (Guides)
- Lieutenant William Bruce (59th Scinde Rifles)
- Captain Eustace Jotham (51st Sikhs)
- Subadar Mir Dast(55th Coke's Rifles)
- Captain Godfrey Meynell (Guides)
- Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Edward Cumming(2nd bn 12th Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Prakash Singh Chib (14/13 Frontier Force Rifles)
- Ali Haidar(6th Royal bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles) later 1stFF
MC recipients
The Military Cross is the third highest battle honour of Britain, awarded for valour. The Frontier Force regiment still maintains the lineage of its predecessor regiments so this award was received by following Piffers:[81]
- Major Amar Singh (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment) [82][83]
- Major Himmat Singh Sandhu (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment) [84]
- Jemadar Nurab Shah (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major T. L. R. G. Dodwell (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Mansabdar Khan (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain Atta Ullah (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Dhanna Singh (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Lieutenant Harbans Singh, I.A.M.C (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major D. A. T. Wilson (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Feroze Khan (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major D. E. Redsull (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subedar Sadhu Singh Malhi (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major D. Monckton (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Mohinder Singh (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Mian Gul (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Amir Shah (1/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major G. J. Hawkins (2/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subedar-Major Rai Singh (2/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain J. M. Ricketts (2/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Ram Singh (2/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain S. H. Raw (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Neuroze Khan (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain D. C. R. Stewart (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major N. O. Finnis (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain E. G. D. Heard (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain Buta Singh (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain L. B. H. Reford (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Santa Singh (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subedar Pahlwan Khan (3/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw(then Captain) (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Lieutenant G. F. Bond (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major P. C. Gupta (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major J. W. Peyton (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Qaim Shah, I.D.S.M (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Udham Singh (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Gul Mohd (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Bakhtawar Singh (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain P. Stewart (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Lieutenant General Attiqur Rahman(then Major) (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Narain Singh (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Phagga Singh (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Sultan Ali (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Bika Ram (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Mada Mir (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major Amrik Singh (4/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Nur Khan (5/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Bakhtawar Singh (8/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major D. D. Slattery (8/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain P. H. Meadows (8/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Lieutenant T. R. Walton (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Tarlochan Chand (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain A. M. Khan (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain J. D. Gosling (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major General Mian Hayaud Din(9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Sultan Ahmed Khan (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Kartar Singh (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major N. C. Rawlley (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Ram Singh (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain Kehar Singh Rai (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain M. J. Moynihan (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major D. G. Butterworth (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Jemadar Kishen Singh (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major C. G. Ferguson (9/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major J. W. Hodges (Machine-gun Battalion/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Captain R. H. Plant( Machine-gun Battalion/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Subadar Karam Singh (Machine-gun Battalion/12 Frontier Force Regiment)
- Major General Adam Khan
- Lieutenant General Rakhman Gul (then Major) ((2/13 Frontier Force Rifles))
- Lieutenant General Bakhtiar Rana (then Major) (6/13 Frontier Force Rifles)
Legion d'Honneur recipients
- Major General Mian Hayaud Din
Legion of Merit recipients
This is the highest military decoration that may be bestowed by the US Government upon a foreign national. Piffers who received the Legion of Merit are:
- Major General Mian Hayaud Din
- Major General Mian Ghulam Jilani
- Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif
Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) – Military
This is the fourth class of the Order of the British Empire. Piffers who received the military division of the MBE are:
- Major General Mian Hayaud Din
- Lieutenant GeneralAltaf Qadir
- General Muhammad Musa
Motto and colours
The motto of the regiment is Labbaik, an Arabic word, which means Here I Come. It is commonly used as an invocation to respond to Allah's call for pilgrimage during Hajj, the annual Muslims pilgrimage.[85] Before 1970, each Piffer unit had its own motto but on the whole the regiment had no motto, so it was decided at the Piffer Conference in 1970 to adopt Labbaik as the regimental motto. The official meaning of this motto is:[86]
—making all preparations required for going to battle, and putting ones heart and soul into the endeavour, aimed at achieving the assigned mission.
Piffers wear the same basic
Alliances
- United Kingdom – Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; 1st Bn[89][90]
- United Kingdom – The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border); 1st and 15th Bn
- Canada –
- United Kingdom – The Rifles; 2nd and 13th Bn[92]
- United Kingdom – The Royal Welsh; 3rd Bn
- United Kingdom – Royal Anglian Regiment; 5th Bn
- United Kingdom –
- Canada – The King's Own Calgary Regiment; 15th Bn[95]
See also
- Punjab Regiment
- Baloch Regiment
- Azad Kashmir Regiment
- Sind Regiment
- Northern Light InfantryRegiment
- Mujahid Force
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Frontier Force Regiment – Pakistan Army". www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- OCLC 1780097. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Mahmud, Babar (2002). "Pakistan: The Frontier Force Regiment". Orbat.com website. Ravi Rikhye. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-19-579778-7.
- ^ Kathryn Cramer: Google Earth Dynamic Overlay for Pakistan Now Available! (Plus "Home of the Piffers" and a Dragon Hunt)
- ^ a b c "Frontier Force Regiment". Pakistan Army Infantry Regiments. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ a b Stewart, Dr. Richard W. (2006). The United States Army in Somalia, 1992–1994. Washington D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. pp. 22–23. CMH Pub 70-81-1. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
- ISBN 978-0946771981.
- ^ Bajwa, Mandeep Singh (2002). "The Pathan Regiment". Orbat.com website. Ravi Rikhye. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Note that there is an error in this source. 4/12 was a Frontier Force Regiment battalion, not a Frontier Force Rifles btn.
- ^ a b Condon (1962), p. 592
- ^ Pakistan Army Infantry Divisions Archived 2020-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 10)
- ISBN 978-81-7648-548-7.
- ^ (Akram 2002, pp. 15–16)
- ISBN 978-0-9815378-9-4.
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 17)
- ^ (Rahman 1980, p. 12)
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 19)
- ISBN 978-0-521-67126-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8160-7827-1.
- ^ "Kashmir border deaths spark India and Pakistan row". BBC News. September 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-57607-712-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7881-0279-0.
- ISBN 978-0-415-97663-3. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-19-953343-5.
- ISBN 978-0-415-47705-5.
- ISBN 978-0-19-579374-1.
- ISBN 978-81-7062-117-1.
- ISBN 978-0-87249-982-9.
- ^ Agha Humayun Amin (2001). "Battle of Chawinda: Comedy of Higher Command Errors". Defence Journal. 4 (8). Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 11)
- ISBN 978-969-8125-19-6.
- ASIN B0061UKCOC. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-969-8125-19-6.
- ^ "Frontier Force Regiment". Pakistan Army. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-520-07665-5.
- ISBN 978-1-935501-10-7.
- ISBN 978-81-7024-767-8.
- ^ (Rahman 1980, pp. 112–118)
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 12)
- ^ (Singh 1994, p. 47)
- ISBN 978-0-8032-1344-9.
- ^ (Singh 1994, pp. 100–102)
- ^ (Rahman 1980, p. 170)
- ^ (Singh 1994, pp. 196–197)
- ISBN 978-81-7062-109-6.
- ^ (Akram 2002, pp. 12–13)
- ISBN 978-0-8032-1344-9.
- ^ (Singh 1994, p. 225)
- ^ "Sciachen & LoC". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
- ^ "War at the Top of the World". Time. 7 November 2005. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Siachen: The Stalemate Continues Archived 2005-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No breakthrough in Siachen talks". BBC News. 27 May 2005. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ VAUSE, Mikel. Peering Over the Edge: The Philosophy of Mountaineering, p. 194.
- ^ a b c d (Akram 2002, p. 14)
- ISBN 0-7656-1090-6. Pg 38
- OCLC 237066528.
- ISBN 978-81-901218-9-7.
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 15)
- ^ "Pakistan and the Kashmir militants". BBC News. 5 July 1999. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Crossette, Barbara (14 August 1990). "CONFRONTATION IN THE GULF; Pakistanis Agree to Join Defense of Saudi Arabia". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- ^ Public Diplomacy Query (PDQ)
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- ^ "Archived copy". www.ispr.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ "Cambrian Patrol". Training and Exercises. Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ "Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2010 (CP 10)" (PDF). Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). 18 October 2010. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ "Exercise Cambrian Patrol – United Kingdom" (Press release). Inter-Services Public Relations. 20 October 2010. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ "Pakistan Army wins gold medal in Cambrian Patrol Exercise". Daily Times. 21 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 28)
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- ^ (Akram 2002, p. 27)
- ^ a b "Nishan-E-Haider Series". Pakistan Post Office website. 2001. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
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References
- Condon, Brigadier W. E. H. (1962). The Frontier Force Regiment. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- Akram, Agha Masood (2002). The Piffers.
- Rahman, Muhammad Attiqur (1980). The wardens of the marches : a history of the Piffers 1947–1971. Lahore: Wajidalis. ASIN B0000CQTM7.
- Singh, Jagjit (1994). Indian gunners at war, the western front-1971. Lancer International. ISBN 978-1-897829-55-4.
Bibliography
- Major General M Hayaud Din (1950). One Hundred Glorious Years. Civil & Military Gazette Limited.
- Brigadier W. E. H. Condon (1953). The Frontier Force Rifles. Gale & Polden Limited.
- Brigadier W. E. H. Condon (1962). The Frontier Force Regiment. Gale & Polden Limited.
- Lieutenant General Attiqur Rahman (1980). The Wardens of the Marches. Wajidalis.
- John Gaylor (1993). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91. Lancer International.
- Capt. C. W. May (1933). History of the Second Sikhs, 12th Frontier Force Regiment 1846–1933. Mission Press Jubbulpore.
- Capt. S. R. Shirley (1915). History of the 54th Sikhs, Frontier Force Regiment 1846–1914. Gale & Polden.
- Col. H. C. Wylly (1930). The History of Coke's Rifles. Gale & Polden.
- Mohammad Nawaz Khan (1996). The glorious piffers, 1843–1995. The Frontier Force Regimental Centre. ASIN B0006FBFNU.
External links
- The Frontier Force, before the independence of Pakistan.
- Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth: The Frontier Force Regiment
- Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth: 12th Frontier Force Regiment
- Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth: 13th Frontier Force Rifles
- Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth: The Pathan Regiment
- [ Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth: Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) (Lumsden's)]
- President Musharraf praises FF
- Nishan-e-Haider Recipients of FF Regiment Archived 17 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine