Alam Khattak
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Muhammad Alam Khattak, HI(M), TBt, is a Pakistan Army
general who is the presently the Commander Southern Command
based at Quetta
. He took over the command in October 2011 after staying as Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS) at the Army GHQ for two years.
He was previously in charge of the Frontier Corps
as its Inspector-General and led it most notably in the War in North-West Pakistan
from 2006 to 2008. Before that, he led the Quetta Infantry Division in the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan
from 2004 to 2006.
from the famous Khattak
tribe. He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army's famed 14th Frontier Force Regiment
in April 1975 in the 51st PMA Long Course.
he was thrust into battle against Balochi tribal militants. Despite a few early setbacks he was able to more or less control/contain the militancy, through a combination of diplomacy (he helped to create a tribal militia to counter the militants called the "Marri Force") and decisive action when merited.
in 2006. Here he applied the lessons learned and unlike his predecessor insisted on dialogue which ultimately led to the 2006 peace deal. Unfortunately this was used by foreign militants to regroup and led to a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistan in 2007. The end of the ceasefire and the militants offensive brought FC under tremendous pressure and Khattak was criticized. However, he had by late 2007 and 2008 in conjunction with regular army troops managed to bring most of the restive Swat and Waziristan
areas under some aspect of authority as evidenced by Baitullah Mehsud
's unilateral ceasefire.
On September 25, 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and took over the post of Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS) from the retiring Lt Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah.
On October 4, 2011 he took over the Southern Command
from the retiring Lt Gen Javed Zia and thus being back at the forefront of War in North-West Pakistan
after commanding troops at the division level.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Muhammad Alam Khattak, HI(M), TBt, is a Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
general who is the presently the Commander Southern Command
XII Corps (Pakistan)
The XII Corps is an active and military administrative corps of Pakistan Army currently stationed in Quetta, Balochistan Province. The XII Corps is a major part of Southern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces...
based at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
. He took over the command in October 2011 after staying as Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS) at the Army GHQ for two years.
He was previously in charge of the Frontier Corps
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
as its Inspector-General and led it most notably in the War in North-West Pakistan
War in North-West Pakistan
The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
from 2006 to 2008. Before that, he led the Quetta Infantry Division in the ongoing insurgency in Balochistan
Balochistan conflict
The Balochistan conflict is an ongoing conflict between Baloch nationalists and the Government of Pakistan over Balochistan, the country's largest province...
from 2004 to 2006.
Early life
Alam Khattak was born in Nowshera village of Dag Ismail Khel and is an ethnic PashtunPashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
from the famous Khattak
Khattak
Khattak or Khatak , is the name of an Afghan tribe. speaking a variant of the Kandahari Pashto. They are accorded the status of being one of the original and true Afghans. The tribe is settled along the western bank of the river Indus from as north upwards as Sammah; modern day Lund Khwar & Sher...
tribe. He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army's famed 14th Frontier Force Regiment
Frontier Force Regiment
For Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 67 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For that reason Abbottabad is also known as Home of...
in April 1975 in the 51st PMA Long Course.
Insurgency in Balochistan
Khattak first came to prominence in 2004-2006, when as commander of Pakistan's 41st Infantry Division in QuettaQuetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
he was thrust into battle against Balochi tribal militants. Despite a few early setbacks he was able to more or less control/contain the militancy, through a combination of diplomacy (he helped to create a tribal militia to counter the militants called the "Marri Force") and decisive action when merited.
War in North-West Pakistan
This brought him to the fore and he was sent to another hotspot as commander of the paramilitary Frontier CorpsFrontier Corps
The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
in 2006. Here he applied the lessons learned and unlike his predecessor insisted on dialogue which ultimately led to the 2006 peace deal. Unfortunately this was used by foreign militants to regroup and led to a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistan in 2007. The end of the ceasefire and the militants offensive brought FC under tremendous pressure and Khattak was criticized. However, he had by late 2007 and 2008 in conjunction with regular army troops managed to bring most of the restive Swat and Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
areas under some aspect of authority as evidenced by Baitullah Mehsud
Baitullah Mehsud
Baitullah Mehsud was a leading militant in Waziristan, Pakistan, and the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan . He formed the TTP from an alliance of about five militant groups in December 2007. He is thought by U.S...
's unilateral ceasefire.
Senior staff appointments
He was replaced by Maj Gen Tariq Khan as the Inspector General in September 2008. Khattak then took over as the Deputy Chief of General Staff replacing Lt Gen Javed Zia who proceeded as the Adjutant General at the Army GHQ.On September 25, 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and took over the post of Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS) from the retiring Lt Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah.
On October 4, 2011 he took over the Southern Command
XII Corps (Pakistan)
The XII Corps is an active and military administrative corps of Pakistan Army currently stationed in Quetta, Balochistan Province. The XII Corps is a major part of Southern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces...
from the retiring Lt Gen Javed Zia and thus being back at the forefront of War in North-West Pakistan
War in North-West Pakistan
The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
after commanding troops at the division level.