Hasnain to become first Muslim in 20 years to head Srinagar Army Corps

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

Srinagar, Nov 30: For the first time in the last 20 years of insurgency, Srinagar-based 15 Corps of Army is going to be headed by a Muslim. Lt Gen S A Hasnain, currently a Corps Commander at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, is tipped to be appointed commander of 15 Corps in a few days. He will be joining his new place of posting under Northern Command in Srinagar later in December.

Hasnain has spent years of career in Army in the insurgency hit Kashmir valley. After functioning as Colonel General Staff at headquarters Victor Force for about three years nearly a decade ago, Hasnain headed a Brigade of 19 Division at Uri for over two years. It was during his command of the brigade that Srinagar-Muzaffarbad Road was opened for cross-Loc traffic through Uri in April 2005.

Hasnain later hogged headlines in the Valley press while conducting court marshal proceedings of a Major of Rashtriya Rifles battalion, posted in Handwara, for his act of intruding into a civilian family and allegedly committing rape of a woman and her daughter. Even as the allegation of rape could not be established before the court of inquiry, Major was subjected to punishment for breaching the command of not venturing out of the unit by way of trespassing into a house without the accompany of the village headman.

Lt Gen M A Zaki was the first Muslim of the sensitive Chinar Corps who functioned as GOC of 15 Corps in 1988-90. After his retirement from Army in 1991, he was appointed as an Advisor to Governor, Girish Chander Saxena and held the most important Home portfolio till re resigned in June 1995.  

Meanwhile, sources said that a new GOC-in-C of Udhampur-based Northern Command would also be joining in the next 10 days.

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