Baloch Regiment The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army . The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiment s with the Baluch Regiment . Since then , further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions . The Baloch Regiment is descended from the infantry of the old British Indian Army and is named after the Pakistani province of Balochistan ( formerly Baluchistan ) . Before 1991 , it was called the Baluch Regiment but the spelling was changed to ' Baloch ' to better reflect the correct pronunciation . The Baloch Regiment is second in seniority after the Punjab Regiment . Its senior - most battalion was raised more than two hundred years ago , in 1798 . The regiment has a distinguished record of military service both before and after the independence of Pakistan . It has won numerous gallantry awards including six Victoria Cross , one George Cross and seven Hilal - i - Jurat . The Regiment ’ s long list of battle honour s dates from the Battle of Cochin in 1809 to the Battle of Qaisar - i - Hind in 1971 . Early history of the Baloch Regiment . The Baloch Regiment has its origin in the former Bombay and Madras Armies , as well as the State Forces of Bahawalpur . The Madras Army . In the 18th century , British possessions in India were divided into the ' Presidencies ' of Madras , Bengal and Bombay . Each presidency maintained its own army , and it was not until the end of the 19th century that a unified command was established for the British Indian Army . For more than fifty years , the Madras Army was engaged in the struggle for control of South India and was largely responsible for the British defeat of Tipu Sultan and the French . It also took an active part in the wars against the Mahrattas , dispatched a number of overseas expeditions and played a major role in the conquest and pacification of Burma . The Baloch Regiment ' s Madrassi origins are derived from the five battalions it inherited from 8th Punjab Regiment in 1956 . The 1st Battalion was raised in 1798 at Masulipatam , as 3rd Extra Battalion of Madras Native Infantry and was known as " MacLeod ki Paltan " ( MacLeod ’ s Battalion ) after the officer , who raised it . It was designated as 1st Battalion 15th Regiment in 1800 , and 29th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry in 1824 . The battalion was dispatched to Ceylon to suppress a rebellion of the Sinhalese in 1818 . In 1832 , it was stationed at Malacca , Malaya , when it was again engaged in suppressing a revolt in the State of Naning . 2 , 3 , 4 & 5 Baloch were also raised as battalions of Madras Infantry in 1799 - 1800 . In 1824 , they were designated as the 30th , 31st , 32nd & 33rd Madras Native Infantry respectively . The 30th & 32nd Regiments took part in the First Burma War , while the 30th , 31st & 33rd fought in the Third Anglo - Mahratta War of 1817 . The 31st Regiment , then known as 1st Battalion 16th Regiment ( or Trichinopoly Light Infantry ) , greatly distinguished itself at the Battle of Mahidpur . It was styled as Light Infantry in 1811 , as reward for a 25 - mile forced march in support of a retreating force ; when it arrived just in time to turn the tables in a minor engagement near Mysore . The 33rd Regiment first made its name in the Travancore War in 1809 , when the battalion repulsed a force of 3000 rebels at Cochin . All four battalions saw considerable action in Central India against the Marathas during the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857 - 58 . Between 1890 and 1893 , the five battalions were moved to Burma and reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims , Sikhs and other North Indians . Their designations were changed to 29th ( 7th Burma Battalion ) , 30th ( 5th Burma Battalion ) , 31st ( 6th Burma Battalion ) , 32nd ( 4th Burma Battalion ) and 33rd ( 3rd Burma Battalion ) Regiments of Madras Infantry . In 1901 , these cumbersome titles were simplified by removing all mention of Madras and the five regiments were styled as the 29th and 30th Burma Infantry , 31st Burma Light Infantry , 32nd and 33rd Burma Infantry . These Burma Battalions were created to police the new territories acquired in the Third Burma War and pacify the rebellious hill tribes inhabiting the frontier regions of Burma . In 1903 , all Madras regiments had sixty added to their numbers , requiring another change in designation to 89th and 90th Punjabis , 91st Punjabis ( Light Infantry ) , 92nd Punjabis and 93rd Burma Infantry . After the First World War , the five Burma Battalions were grouped together to form the 8th Punjab Regiment in 1922 . These frontier battalions had adopted uniforms of drab colour ( a pinkish shade of khaki ) when they moved to Burma and the 8th Punjab Regiment retained drab as its regimental colour with blue facings . The Bombay Army . The senior battalion of what became the 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922 , was raised in 1820 , as the 2nd ( Marine ) Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry . In 1838 , as the 24th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry , it stormed and captured the city of Aden ( Yemen ) as part of a punitive expedition sent to rid the area of pirates . The 26th Bombay Native Infantry was raised in 1825 , as the 2nd Extra Battalion of Bombay Native Infantry , changing its name a year later . In 1843 , the British conquered Sindh after defeating the ruling confederacy of Baloch chieftains . General Sir Charles Napier , the British commander , was much impressed by the ferocious courage of his Balochi opponents and decided to recruit them for local service within Sindh . As a result , two irregular battalions of Bombay Army , the 1st and 2nd Belooch ( old spelling of Baluch ) Battalions were raised in 1844 and 1846 at Karachi . In 1856 , the 2nd Belooch Battalion was dispatched to fight in the Persian War in 1856 - 57 , a campaign frequently overshadowed by the events of the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Meanwhile , the 1st Belooch Battalion was dispatched on foot across the Sindh desert in May , to join the siege artillery train on its way to Delhi ; the only Bombay unit to join the Delhi Field Force . The battalion was brought into line in 1861 , for its services in North India and it became the 27th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry in the post - Mutiny realignment . 2nd Belooch , in the meantime , had qualified for a similar change in status and became the 29th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry . In 1858 , Major John Jacob raised two local ' silladar ' infantry battalions known as the Jacob ' s Rifles ; the only silladar infantry to have existed in the Indian Army . These battalions soon earned a formidable reputation in and around Jacobabad for keeping the peace on the Sindh frontier . In 1861 , the first of these was accorded regular status , becoming the 30th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or Jacob ' s Rifles , while the second was disbanded . In 1862 , the 2nd Beloochees went to China to suppress the Taiping Rebellion . Two years later , they became the first foreign troops to be stationed in Japan , when two companies were sent to Yokohama to guard the British legation . Meanwhile , the 1st Beloochees greatly distinguished themselves in the long and arduous Abyssinian Campaign of 1868 and were made Light Infantry as a reward . All Baloch battalions took part in the Second Afghan War of 1878 - 80 , where the Jacob ' s Rifles suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Maiwand . The 1st Belooch Regiment again distinguished itself in 1885 - 87 during the Third Burma War . In 1891 , the 24th and 26th Bombay Infantry also became ' Balochi ' , when they were reconstituted with Pathans , Balochis and Hazaras , and localized in Baluchistan ; becoming the 24th and 26th ( Baluchistan ) Regiments of Bombay Infantry . The 24th and 27th Regiments saw active service in British East Africa in 1896 - 99 , while the 26th and Jacob ' s Rifles went to China in 1900 to suppress the Boxer Rebellion . In 1903 , the 24th , 26th , 27th , 29th , and 30th had one hundred added to their numbers as part of Lord Kitchener ' s reforms , emerging as the 124th Duchess of Connaught ' s Own Baluchistan Infantry , 126th Baluchistan Infantry , 127th Baluch Light Infantry , 129th Duke of Connaught ' s Own Baluchis and 130th Jacob ’ s Baluchis . Following World War I , the five battalions were merged to form the 10th Baluch Regiment . The pre - 1914 full dress uniforms of the five Baluchi infantry regiments included dark red trousers and rifle green tunics with dark green turbans for the 127th , 129th and 130th Baluchis . The 124th and 126th Baluchistan Infantry also wore red trousers but with drab - coloured tunics and turbans . On the formation of the 10th Baluch Regiment , rifle green and red uniform was adopted by the whole regiment . The 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica commented that " The remarkable Baluchi uniforms ( green and drab with baggy red trousers ) are unique in the British Empire " . The Bahawalpur State Forces . The two senior battalions of Bahawalpur Regiment trace their origin to 1827 , when the Nawab of Bahawalpur first organized his forces . These forces were engaged in support of the British during the Second Anglo - Sikh War in 1848 - 49 and the Great Rebellion of 1857 . In 1889 , a small force from Bahawalpur was accepted as Imperial Service Troops , placing them at the disposal of the British for use in emergencies . However , it was not until the 20th century that these units began training on modern lines . In 1901 , Bahawalpur State raised a camel baggage train with an escort of mounted infantry , called the Bahawalpur Imperial Service Mounted Rifles and Camel Transport Corps , which would go on to become the 1st Bahawalpur Sadiq Battalion in 1924 . In 1912 , the colour of their uniform was khaki with green facings . Only 2 / 124th Baluchistan Infantry of the wartime raisings was retained after the post - war reforms . Baloch Regiment in the First World War . 10th Baluch Regiment . During the First World War , the 129th DCO Baluchis served on the Western Front in France and Belgium , where they became the first Indian regiment to attack the Germans and the only Indian regiment to fight in both the First & Second Battles of Ypres . At Hollebeke , during the First Ypres , Sepoy Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to win the Victoria Cross ; Britain ' s highest decoration for valour . Prior to 1911 Indian soldiers had not been eligible for the Victoria Cross . The battalion would go on to serve with distinction in German East Africa alongside the 127th QMO Baluch Light Infantry and 130th KGO Baluchis . Meanwhile , the 1st and 3rd Battalions of 124th DCO Baluchistan Infantry served in Persia , while the 2nd distinguished itself in Mesopotamia and Palestine . Only 2 / 89th Punjabis of the new raisings was retained after the war . 8th Punjab Regiment . The 8th Punjabis also have a most distinguished record of service during the First World War . Their long list of honours and awards includes the Victoria Cross awarded to Naik Shahmed Khan of 89th Punjabis in 1916 . The 89th Punjabis had the unique distinction of serving in more theatres of war than any other unit of the British Empire . These included Aden , where they carried out the first opposed sea - borne assault landing in modern warfare , Egypt , Gallipoli , France , Mesopotamia , North - West Frontier of India , Salonika and Russian Transcaucasia . All battalions served in Mesopotamia , while the 93rd Burma Infantry also served in France . The 92nd Punjabis were made ' Prince of Wales ' s Own ' in 1921 for their gallantry and sacrifices during the war . The Bahawalpur Infantry . A detachment of Bahawalpur Mounted Rifles served in Egypt and Palestine , while the Bahawalpur Camel Corps saw action in Baluchistan and Waziristan . Post First World War history . After the First World War , a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions in 1922 . Among these were the 8th Punjab and 10th Baluch Regiments . The line - up of battalions for the 10th Baluch Regiment was : The regiment was based at Karachi and initially retained its traditional class composition of Punjabi Muslims , Pathans , Balochis and Brahuis . The Balochis and Brahuis are two of the main ethnic groups of Balochistan Province of Pakistan . Balochis also constitute a major part of the population of Sindh Province and Southern Punjab . However in 1925 , Balochis and Brahuis were replaced with Hindu Dogras because of the difficulty encountered in their recruitment during the war . During the inter - war period , the regiment saw continuous employment on the North West Frontier of India , keeping it in fighting trim for the great test ahead . The distinctive rifle green and red uniform of the old Baluch battalions was adopted by the entire regiment . The officers wore a red boss surmounted by a silver ' X ' on field and forage caps , while the old battalion badges were worn on pagris and helmets by the 1st , 3rd , 4th and 5th Battalions . It was not until 1945 that a single cap badge was adopted by the regiment on introduction of beret s during the Second World War . It consisted of the Roman numeral ' X ' within a crescent moon , a Tudor crown above and the title scroll below , all in white metal . The badges of rank were in black metal with red cloth edging , while the lanyard was of rifle green cord with two red runners . Another distinctive feature of Baluchi uniforms were plain silver ball buttons worn on service and mess dresses . The line - up of battalions for the 8th Punjab Regiment was : The regiment was based at Lahore and its class composition was 50 % Punjabi Muslims , 25 % Sikhs and 25 % Hindu Gujjars . 8th Punjab Regiment also remained engaged on the North West Frontier , taking part in numerous actions and engagements during a period of constant trouble in the region . In light of the association of the constituent regiments with Burma , it was appropriate that the new regiment should adopt Chinthe - the mythical Burmese lion - dragon guardian of Buddhist pagoda s , as its emblem in 1927 . The cap badge was in white metal with blue backing , while the badges of rank were in gilding metal . The uniform was of drab colour with blue facings . The lanyard was also of drab colour . In 1917 , Bahawalpur State raised the Imperial Service Double Company , which was designated as 2nd Bahawalpur Household Infantry in 1922 and redesignated as 2nd Bahawalpur Haroon Infantry a year later . In 1921 , Bahawalpur joined the Indian State Forces Scheme , placing its two infantry battalions at the disposal of the Government of India . The Bahawalpur Infantry was mostly composed of Punjabi Muslims . Their uniforms underwent numerous changes , until settling for grey colour in 1930 . Ceremonial headdress included the distinctive ' fez ' , which was unique to the Bahawalpur State Forces . The badges of Bahawalpur Infantry also underwent numerous changes but usually included the pelican as their central theme . Baloch Regiment in the Second World War . 10th Baluch Regiment . During the Second World War , the 10th Baluch regiment raised ten new battalions . The regiment fought in all the major theatres of war , and its record of service was once again most impressive . It suffered 6572 casualties and won numerous gallantry awards including two Victoria Crosses to Naik Fazal Din and Sepoy Bhandari Ram . At the end of 1945 , the 10th Baluch Regiment lost its number and became The Baluch Regiment . 8th Punjab Regiment . The 8th Punjab Regiment also greatly distinguished itself in the war , suffering more than 4500 casualties . It was awarded two Victoria Crosses to Havildar Parkash Singh and Sepoy Kamal Ram , besides numerous other gallantry awards . The Bahawalpur Regiment . Captain Mahmood Khan Durrani of 1st Bahawalpur Infantry was awarded the George Cross " for outstanding courage , loyalty and fortitude whilst a Prisoner of War " of the Japanese . Partition of India . Following the partition of India in August 1947 , the 8th Punjab and Baluch Regiments were allotted to Pakistan . Dogra companies of the Baluch Regiment were transferred to the Indian Army . The Regimental Centre shifted to Quetta in 1947 , to make room for government offices in the new capital of Pakistan . In July , 7 Baluch ( present 15 Baloch ) moved to Karachi to prepare for ceremonies in connection with Independence of Pakistan . The battalion has the distinction of providing the first guard of honour to Quaid - i - Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah , as he stepped on the soil of Pakistan . On 14 August , the Subedar Major unfurled the first flag at the Governor General ’ s residence . Officers and men of the Baloch Regiment earned the honoured title of ' Ghazi Balochi ' for protecting Muslim refugees fleeing India from maurauding bands of Sikhs and Hindus . The 8th Punjab Regimental Centre remained at Lahore . Sikh and Gujjar companies were exchanged with Hindustani Muslims from regiments allotted to India . In 1947 , Bahawalpur State acceded to Pakistan and in 1952 , Bahawalpur Infantry was integrated into the Pakistan Army as the Bahawalpur Regiment . The regiment was entirely composed of Punjabi Muslims . The Regimental Centre was based at Dera Nawab Sahib . Uniform of the new regiment was of rifle green colour with scarlet facings . Officers ' winter mess kit was of French grey cloth with black cuffs and facings , and blue overalls . Cummerband was rifle green . Cap badge of gilding metal consisted of a pelican surmounted by a star and crescent , the whole surrounded by a date palm wreath , with a scroll below , inscribed ' Bahawalpur Regiment ' . Backing for the cap badge was of circular maroon cloth . Badges of rank were in gilding metal . The lanyard was of maroon cord . In July 1948 , 5th Bahawalpur Light Infantry was raised from Muslim officers and men of 2nd Patiala Infantry , who had opted for Pakistan . It was redesignated as 4 Bahawalpur in 1952 . Amalgamation . In 1956 , a major re - organization was undertaken in the Pakistan Army and the existing infantry regiments were amalgamated to form larger regiments . The Baluch Regiment was reorganized by merging the Baluch , 8th Punjab and the Bahawalpur Regiments . The new regimental centre was initially set up at Multan ; moving to Abbottabad in December 1957 . The new line up of the regiment was : Post - amalgamation history . In 1956 , Pakistan raised the Special Service Group ( SSG ) from 19 Baluch ( old 17 / 10th Baluch ) at Cherat , a hill station near Peshawar . In 1979 - 80 , the Baluch Regiment transferred ten battalions ( 13 , 17 , 18 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 & 53 Baluch ) to the newly formed Sind Regiment , while 61 Baluch was transferred in 1988 . Based at Abbottabad since December 1957 , the Balochis have fought with great distinction in every operation / engagement of Pakistan Army since independence , winning numerous awards for gallantry . In 1948 , 11 Baluch captured the strategic heights of Pandu in Kashmir , while Balochis played a vital role in blunting the Indian offensive against Lahore in 1965 . They also fought gallantly in the Rann of Kutch , at Chhamb - Jaurian , Sialkot , Chawinda , Kasur and Sulemanki . In 1971 , the regiment again performed creditably on both the fronts . The newly raised 41 Baluch captured the Indian fortress of Qaisar - i - Hind , while a platoon of 31 Baluch held up an entire Indian brigade for three weeks in East Pakistan . The regiment has also produced the two most successful field commanders of Pakistan Army , namely , Major General Abrar Husain , Commander of 6 Armoured Division in 1965 , who blunted the Indian offensive in Sialkot Sector , and Major General Eftikhar Khan Janjua , who captured the strategic town of Chhamb in 1971 . During the Indo - Pakistani Wars of 1948 , 1965 and 1971 , the regiment was awarded seven Hilal - i - Jurat and 64 Sitara - i - Jurat , while more than 1500 officers and men sacrificed their lives in defence of their Motherland . Since then , the regiment has continued to uphold its formidable reputation and rendered invaluable services in the country ' s defence , in aid to civil authorities during natural disasters and insurgencies , and as United Nations Peacekeepers . The present badge of the Baloch Regiment , adopted in 1959 , depicts crossed Mughal swords within a crescent , under the Islamic Star of Glory , appearing above a title scroll . All ranks wear a rifle green beret with a cherry coloured backing for the badge . Officers wear a cherry coloured boss surmounted by a silver star on forage caps . Badges of rank are in black metal with cherry edging . Bandsmen wear the traditional rifle green tunic and cherry trousers of the old Baluch battalions . The Regimental Tartan is the Baluch Regiment Tartan .