Mohammad Abbas Baig

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Mohammad Abbas Baig (1917–2008) was a Pakistani Army brigadier, nicknamed Baba-e-Artillery for his key role in shaping the country’s artillery corps.

Baig was born in Jhelum, in what was then the British Indian Empire. He joined the British Army in 1933 and received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1938. During World War II, he fought in Burma against the Japanese and earned a reputation as an outstanding officer.

After Pakistan’s creation in 1947, Abbas Baig helped build the new Pakistan Army. He became the first Muslim commander of the Number Three Self-Propelled Medium Regiment and the first commandant of the Artillery Centre at Attock in 1952. He played a central part in forming Pakistan’s artillery corps, raising the first artillery division and the Number One Artillery Corps, which became a backbone of the army.

In 1958, General Ayub Khan imposed martial law and rose to power. Baig, then a senior officer, was viewed as a threat, and his promotion from brigadier to general was blocked and he was effectively forced into retirement on short notice. He did not pursue politics and lived quietly after his retirement.

Baig died on 19 April 2008 in the village of Thatti Mughlah, Jhelum, at the age of 90. His legacy continued through his family, with his sons and grandsons serving in the Pakistan Army, continuing the military tradition he helped establish.