, image = Chitral scout.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = A band of the Chitral Scouts.
, start_date = 1903
, disbanded =
, country =
, allegiance =
, branch =
Civil Armed Forces
The Civil Armed Forces (CAF) are a group of nine paramilitary, uniformed organisations, separate and distinct from the regular "military" Pakistan Armed Forces. They are responsible for maintaining internal security, helping law enforcement ag ...
, type = Paramilitary
, role =
, size =
7 wings
, command_structure =
Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North)
The Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) ( ur, , reporting name: FCKP(N)), is a group of paramilitary regiments of Pakistan, operating in the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, overseeing the country's borders with Afghanistan ...
, garrison = Drosh Cantonment
, garrison_label =
, nickname =
, patron =
, motto =
, colour =
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, equipment =
, equipment_label =
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Indo-Pakistani War of 1947Kargil War
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...
[Zar Alam Khan Rizakhail, ]
Recruitment centre's shifting opposed
', in ''Dawn News'' dated 25 September 2003, at archives.dawn.com
, battles_label =
, decorations =
, battle_honours =
, battle_honours_label =
, flying_hours =
, website =
, current_commander =
, commander1 =
, commander1_label =
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, identification_symbol_label =
The Chitral Scouts (''CS'') ( ur, چترال سکاوٹس), also known as Chitral Levies, originally raised in 1903 as the
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
of the
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
of
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
, is now part of the
Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North)
The Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) ( ur, , reporting name: FCKP(N)), is a group of paramilitary regiments of Pakistan, operating in the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, overseeing the country's borders with Afghanistan ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
They are recruited mostly from the
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
and
Kalash Valleys areas along the western borders and are led by officers from the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
. The Frontier Corps of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
(North) falls under the control of the
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
. Its headquarters is at
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
town, and it is commanded by a
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
of the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
.
The regiment has a 2020/21 budget of , and is composed of seven battalion-sized wings, each headed by army officers with the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
or
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. Its role is to keep guard over Pakistan's western borders in peacetime and to assist the civil administration in maintaining law and order in the district of
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
.
History
The Chitral Scouts were raised in 1903 in the
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
of
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
on an initiative by the
Viceroy of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...
,
Lord Curzon of Kedleston. The word Scouts meant that the force was a standing
paramilitary
A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
, not part of the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
, and it was under the command of a
Chief
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boa ...
of Chitral, but with a British attached officer. The objective of the force was to provide soldiers for the defense of India's
North-West Frontier in case of invasion. The corps had an initial strength of 1,200 men and aimed to recruit the trained cragsmen of Chitral, that is, experienced mountaineers. They were provided with
Martini–Henry
The Martini–Henry is a breech-loading single-shot rifle with a lever action that was used by the British Army. It first entered service in 1871, eventually replacing the Snider–Enfield, a muzzle-loader converted to the cartridge system. ...
and
Snider–Enfield
The British .577 Snider–Enfield was a breech-loading rifle. The American Jacob Snider invented this firearm action, and the Snider–Enfield was one of the most widely used of the Snider varieties. The British Army adopted it in 1866 as a con ...
rifles, ten rounds per rifle per Scout was the first line of
ammunition
Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
. Pay and allowances of the Scouts were shared by the
Political Agent and the Mehtar of Chitral
Shuja ul-Mulk
His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk KCIE (1 January 1881 – 13 October 1936) was the Mehtar (from fa, ) of the princely state of Chitral, and reigned it for 41 years until his death in 1936. He belonged to the royal Katur dynasty, which ruled t ...
, who was also installed as the
Honorary Commandant.
On raising, the initial batch of Scouts, mostly from Upper Chitral, were given extensive
training-in-drill for which the
drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
Australia
Austr ...
s from the regular
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
unit stationed at Chitral were borrowed.
Firing
Dismissal (also called firing) is the termination of employment by an employer against the will of the employee. Though such a decision can be made by an employer for a variety of reasons, ranging from an economic downturn to performance-related ...
was the main thrill of the recruits, the air was informal, with
polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
being a major attraction in the evening when the Scouts would show their prowess.
Third Afghan War 1919
The war itself was not focused on the Chitral sector, however,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
had much more chances of success in Chitral than anywhere else. Afghanistan had kept its word during the
Great War of 1914-1918, but then the chain of events inside Afghanistan necessitated the launching of a
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
by
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
, which it did in the summer of 1919 with great dexterity and achieved stunning results in the
Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
sector.
Amir Amanullah broke his relations with
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
because it had delayed in accepting his kingship and more so politically to have public support. The Mehtar of Chitral also received one such firman from Ammanullah on 8 May 1919. However,
Shuja ul-Mulk
His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk KCIE (1 January 1881 – 13 October 1936) was the Mehtar (from fa, ) of the princely state of Chitral, and reigned it for 41 years until his death in 1936. He belonged to the royal Katur dynasty, which ruled t ...
rejected the offer and kept his side of the pact with the British intact. Consequently, Chitral prepared itself for an attack.
Initial Afghan movement started from 12 May onwards. They captured
Arandu and soon the Scouts positioned at Galapach were overrun by a 600-strong force of Afghans. The Scouts retreated to
Mirkhani and the Afghans were certainly moving forward with an aim to capture the Mirkhani and close the
Lawari Pass.
Clash at Mirkhani
On 14 May 1919, Major N.F Reilly, along with two companies of Chitral Scouts, arrived at Mirkhani from Drosh. The retreating scouts were also harnessed and together these three companies put up a courageous fight on the Galapach position and reoccupied it. Afghan strength at
Arandu was estimated to be over 600 supported by four
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
guns and a large
tribal lashkar.
Battle of Birkot
Almost an entire
British Garrison at Chitral was present at the Battle of Birkot, a small town in the Afghan province of
Asmar
Asmar ( ps, اسمار) is one of the major cities in northeastern of Kunar province of Afghanistan and is the district center of Bar Kunar district, which is located in the most southern part of the district in a river valley.
History
The name ...
where the bulk of the Afghans were concentrated. The battle opened up on 23 May at 0700 hours where Chitral Scouts carried out the advance and by 1400 hours the Afghans started retreating from
Arandu. After the action, the Afghans started reinforcing themselves thus the political administration at Chitral very wisely decided to retreat back into its own areas.
On 3 June 1919, the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
was signed between British India and the
Afghan Government
The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political powe ...
. However the situation at
Chitral
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
remained precarious with Afghan General Wakil Khan planning to move into Chitral. The situation in Chitral started returning to normalcy after the signing of the
Treaty of Rawalpindi
The Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919, also known as the Treaty of Rawalpindi, was a treaty which brought the Third Anglo-Afghan War to an end. It was signed on 8 August 1919 in Rawalpindi by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United King ...
on 8 August 1919, thus ending the conflict from which the Chitral Scouts emerged as victors.
Orders, awards, and decorations
Three scouts were awarded with posthumous awards, including the
Indian Order of Merit
The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India in 1947 it was ...
, one with the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
, one with the
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
, and two each with the
Indian Distinguished Service Medal
The Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) was a military decoration awarded by the British Empire to Indian citizens serving in the Indian armed forces and military police. When it was instituted in 1907 it was the second highest award avail ...
and the title of
Khan Sahib
Khan Sahib is a compound of khan (leader) and sahib (master) - was a formal title of respect and honour, which was conferred mainly on Muslim, but also to Parsi, Irani, and Jewish subjects of the British Indian Empire. It was a title one degr ...
. Unlike the North Waziristan Militia and South Waziristan Militia, along with the Khyber Rifles, where mass defections took place, there was not even one defector among the ranks of the Chitral Scouts. In recognition of his loyalty and faithfulness,
Shuja ul-Mulk
His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk KCIE (1 January 1881 – 13 October 1936) was the Mehtar (from fa, ) of the princely state of Chitral, and reigned it for 41 years until his death in 1936. He belonged to the royal Katur dynasty, which ruled t ...
was
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
ed, given the title of
His Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style (manner of address), style used to address (in grammatical person, second person) or refer to (in grammatical person, third person) certain members of a reigning or formerl ...
, and a right of having a
salute of 11 guns.
Chitral State Scouts 1942-1956
In 1942, the last of British soldier left Chitral as they were required at more important places due to the swinging fortunes of the
Second Great War. In the same year, the
nomenclature
Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal naming conventions, conventions of everyday speech to the i ...
of Chitral Scouts was changed to Chitral State Scouts and was placed under the
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps ( ur, , reporting name: FC), are a group of paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's ...
administrative control.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
At the time of the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the Chitral Scouts were still a force under the control of the ruler of Chitral. With the
Gilgit Scouts
The Gilgit Scouts constituted a paramilitary force of the Gilgit Agency in northern Jammu and Kashmir. They were raised by the government of British India in 1913, on behalf of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, to police the northern front ...
, the Chitral Scouts played a leading role in the conflict and secured the
Baltistan
Baltistan ( ur, ; bft, སྦལ་ཏི་སྟཱན, script=Tibt), also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet ( bft, སྦལ་ཏི་ཡུལ་།, script=Tibt), is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilg ...
territory for Pakistan.
The
3 June 1947 plan had left no option to the
Princely States
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...
but to choose either between
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
or
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Mehtar
Muzaffar ul-Mulk
His Highness Muzaffar ul-Mulk (6 October 1901 – 12 January 1949) was the Mehtar of Chitral who reigned from 1943 to 1949. He took the important decision of Chitrals accession to Pakistan in 1947. He dispatched his army into Gilgit in August ...
had good relations with
Quaid-e-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
and thus Chitral
acceded to Pakistan in August 1947.
Tension over
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
had already escalated and Muzaffar-ul-Mulk declared jihad for the liberation of Kashmir and sent his
Bodyguards
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, ...
to fight alongside the Chitral Scouts, under the command of Mata ul-Mulk. Colonel Mata reached
Skardu
, nickname =
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan
, pushpin_label_position ...
via the
Deosai plains
Deosai National Park () is a high-altitude alpine plain (plateau) and National Park located in Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan.
Deosai Plains are situated at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level and considered as th ...
, adopting and circumnavigating the Indian held Tsari Pass and thus descending upon the
Skardu
, nickname =
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan
, pushpin_label_position ...
city and laying
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
. On 19 June the besieged commander Lieutenant Colonel
Sher Jung Thapa
Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa MVC (15 April 1907 – 25 February 1999) was a military officer of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and later the Indian Army. Revered as ''the Hero of Skardu'', he was a recipient of the Indian Army's second highes ...
sent his emissary with a white flag to Colonel Mata, accepting
surrender
Surrender may refer to:
* Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy
* Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power
Film and television
* ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
terms under
Geneva Convention
upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864
The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...
.
Chitral Scouts 1956
In 1956 the Chitral State Scouts were reverted to the identity of Chitral Scouts, for the reason that Pakistan became a
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
and from
dominion
The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire.
"Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
status and all the
Princely States
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...
were amalgamated into the
One Unit
The One Unit Scheme ( ur, ; bn, এক ইউনিট ব্যবস্থা) was a geopolitical programme launched by the Government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on 22 November 1954 and passed on 30 September 1955 ...
.
Kargil War
The Chitral Scouts also saw service in the
Kargil War
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referr ...
of May–July 1999. For the Kargil operation, Pakistan army launched forces exclusively from the
Northern Light Infantry
The Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, Pakistan. Along with other forces of the Pakistani military, the NLI has the primary responsibility of con ...
. These included 5, 6, 8 and 12
NLI battalions in full strength and elements of 3, 4, 7 and 11 NLI with the Chitral and
Bajaur Scouts
The Bajaur Scouts is a paramilitary regiment of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) of Pakistan, recruited locally in Bajaur District and officered by regular Pakistan Army officers. The Scouts were previously the Bajaur Levies, an ...
employed for
logistic support.
Units
* Headquarters Wing
* 141 Wing
* 142 Wing
[
* 143 Wing]
* 144 Wing[
* 145 Wing]
* 146 Wing[
* 166 Wing]
References
{{Frontier Corps
Regiments of the Frontier Corps
Chitral District
History of Chitral