Formation and war service

In 1985, the Army GHQ formed three field corps to improve the internal security in Balochistan and Punjab.^[4] Originally, the XXX Corps was headquartered in Sialkot Cantonment, and took over the area of responsibility of strategic areas of Ilegal Indian Occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir (extending from Jehlum to Narowal) that was previously overlooked by the I Corps.^[2] With I Corps becoming the part of the strategic army reserves, the XXX Corps was relocated and now headquarters in Gujranwala Cantonment since 1987.^[5]

Thus, the XXX Corps was given the command of the formations that were detached from I Corps, which was then dedicated to offensive tasks.^[6] The XXX Corps is known for its ability to conduct mechanized and the riverine operations.^[1] Its mission parameters also included to prevent the Indian Army's mechanized divisions from further advancing and into penetrating Pakistan to cut the vital Lahore-Karachi links— the North-South links.^{: 204–205 [7]}