The XXXI Corps is a field
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
of the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
, currently stationed in
Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur (Urdu: ; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 13th largest city of Pakistan and List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, 8th most populous city of Punjab. Bahawalpur is the capital of Bahawalpur Division.
Founded in ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
in
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
.
It is currently commanded by Lt-Gen. Muhammad Aqeel as of 2025.
History
The XXXI Corps was formed and raised as part of the major reorganization of the Pakistani military in 1985– it was one of the three corps that were formed to address the security in the country.
The XXXI Corps took over the area of responsibility of
southern region of
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
from the
II Corps, which is more well suited for forestry warfare techniques.
It was initially headquartered in
Pano Akil
Pano Aqil (), is a tehsil of Sukkur District in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is located approximately north of the city of Sukkur. It consists of 12 union councils According to 2017 Census of Pakistan
The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a ...
but later moved to
Bahawalpur Cantonment as the corps headquarter. Together with the
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...
in Sindh, the XXXI Corps is responsible for the maneuvering combat readiness in the southern Punjab's desert zone.
In 2023, 35th Infantry Division attached to the XXXI Corps equipped with
VCC-2 APCs were reportedly be taking part in anti-bandit operations near Bahawalpur alongside
Punjab Police, based on social media and news reports. The units from the 35th were then rotated with fresh replacements consisting of
VCC-1 APCs. The police were also equipped with locally-made
M113A1/A2 APCs.
Structure
Its present order of battle is as follows:
Global Security website page on XXXI Corps
/ref>
List of Commanders XXXI Corps
References
Further reading
*
{{Pakistan Army template
1987 establishments in Pakistan
Corps of the Pakistan Army
Military units and formations established in 1987
Military in Punjab, Pakistan