Reports in the Pakistani media hail their army’s feat, but Indian tanks had reached 12,000 ft in Zoji La in 1947-48.
New Delhi: The Pakistan Army has gone to town claiming to have set a ‘world record’ by deploying a tank at an altitude of 12,000 feet.
Yes, for the Pakistan Army, it is a record. But the Indian Army has actually had armoured regiments posted as high as 15,200 feet, at Tangse in Eastern Ladakh, for about four years now.
Former Western Army Commander Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) labelled Pakistan’s claims as bunkum in a tweet.
This is called classic "Bankam". Indian Army tanks have been operating on Kerang plateau at 16000ft & more since 1988. Also in Ladakh sector. 5 Indep Squadron (63 Cavalry) was the first full unit to be inducted at such altitude. pic.twitter.com/81bjBqcUdN
— Lt Gen K J Singh (@kayjay34350) January 7, 2019
Lt Gen. Singh said the tank in the images seemed to be an Al-Zarrar tank.
3000 seems to total number of tanks. Photos are not clear, could be Al-Zarar- Pak version of Chinese T-59. Old & obsolete.
— Lt Gen K J Singh (@kayjay34350) January 7, 2019
In fact, as early as the 1947-48 war with Pakistan, India had deployed tanks at Zoji La, which lies at an altitude of 12,000 feet. Tanks have also been deployed in North Sikkim (12,000 feet) for several years.
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Pakistan’s feat
What the Pakistan Army has achieved is to deploy a tank at Brekh Mohammad Khan Top, at 12,000 feet, in Khyber district along the Afghanistan border.
“The Pakistan Armoured Corps has set a new record by taking its tanks at the incredible highest elevation point of 3,176 metres above sea level. It is situated opposite to Torra Bora mountains of Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. This is for the first time that a country made such record,” a report in The Nation, which was shared by Lt Gen. Singh on Twitter (see above), said. The online version of the report seems to have been taken down due to the inaccurate world record claims.
Another report by the same media house said the tank had been stationed at the bottom of the same mountain top for the past one year, but Captain Syed Amir Hayat Shah, along with his team small team comprising Naik Qalar Khan and Lance Naik Raaziqullah Shaheed, “accomplished the task in six hours”.
“Right after this accomplishment a terrorist headquarter on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was hit through direct fire. The officer named the post as Sibt-e-Hassan Post,” the report said.
Various Pakistani media outlets have picked up this story, with not only the same set of information, but also the same dateline — Rawalpindi.
The Pakistan Army has around 2,500 tanks, while India has around 3,800 tanks.