Lieutenant General Tariq Khan HI(M) LoM is a retired Pakistan Army general officer who was the Commander of I Strike Corps at Mangla.[1] A war hero, he has been the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps from September 2008 till October 2010.[2]

Tariq Khan
طارق خان
Commander I Corps, Mangla
In office
2010–2014
Inspector General, Frontier Corps
In office
2008–2010
Personal details
BornTank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
AwardsHilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Kuwait Liberation Medal
Legion of Merit
Sword of Honour
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan
Branch/service Pakistan Army
Years of service1977 – 2014
Rank Lieutenant-General
UnitArmoured Corps
Commands1st Armoured Division, Multan
14th Infantry Division, D.I. Khan
Frontier Corps (KP)
I Corps, Mangla
Battles/wars

He has also commanded the 1st Armoured Division in Multan from 2006 to 2007 and then the 14th Infantry Division in South Waziristan till 2008. Khan gained fame when he led the Frontier Corps to victory against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in the Battle of Bajaur in 2009.[3][4]

Pakistan Army career

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Tariq Khan belongs to the Tank area of Pakistan. He was commissioned in the Armoured Corps in the 55th PMA Long Course on 16 April 1977 and was awarded the Sword of Honour from the Pakistan Military Academy. He has participated in the First Gulf War of 1991, and contributed towards the international effort in the War on Terrorism as Pakistan's Senior National Representative at CENTCOM, Tampa, Florida from 2004 to 2005.[citation needed]

Khan was then promoted to major general in 2006 and commanded an armoured division in Multan and later an infantry division in South Waziristan leading Operation Zalzala against the militants.[5] After commanding an infantry division, Maj Gen Tariq was posted as IG FC KPK, where he changed FC from a ragtag group of fighters into a force on par with Pakistan Army. As IG FC, he commanded the spearhead of Pakistan's war against terror. On 1 October 2010 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed Corps Commander Mangla and Commander Central Command.[1]

Honors

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The officer has been successful in turning the Frontier Corps around from a force in great difficulty into a highly professional one which has seen great successes in its recent operations against the militants in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. On 9 December 2007, Tariq Khan received United States Legion of Merit for meritorious services as a liaison officer at CENTCOM during Operation Enduring Freedom.[citation needed]

Awards and decorations

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Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

2013

Tamgha-e-Baqa

(Nuclear Test Medal)

1998

Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan

(Escalation with India Medal)

2002

10 Years Service Medal
20 Years Service Medal 30 Years Service Medal 35 Years Service Medal Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

Hijri Tamgha

(Hijri Medal)

1979

Jamhuriat Tamgha

(Democracy Medal)

1988

Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha

(Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990

Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan

(Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997

Command & Staff College Quetta

Instructor's Medal

Kuwait Liberation Medal

(Saudi Arabia)

(Gulf War 1991)

Nuth al-Markat

(Combat Medal)

Saudi Arabia

(Gulf War 1991)

The Legion of Merit

(Degree of Officer)

(United States)

2007

Foreign Decorations

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Foreign Awards
  Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) (Gulf War 1991)  
  Saudi Arabia Nuth al-Markat (Combat Medal) (Gulf War 1991)  
  USA The Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer)  

References

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  1. ^ a b "Lt-Gen Waheed Arshad new CGS" Dawn, 1 October 2010
  2. ^ Ismail Khan "Battle to be won or lost in Bajaur" Dawn, 21 September 2008
  3. ^ Bill Roggio. "Taliban has 'lost' in Bajaur, Mohmand: Pakistan military" The Long War Journal, 1 March 2009
  4. ^ "Tide turns against the Taliban"BBC News, 21 May 2009
  5. ^ "29 brigadiers promoted as major general" Dawn, 5 January 2006
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