H. S. Panag

Panag was born on 4 December 1948 in a Jatt Sikh family at Mahadian village, Fatehgarh Sahib district, in the Indian state of Punjab. His father, Colonel Shamsher Singh was a distinguished personality known for taking social initiatives in the field of development, education, ex-servicemen issues, gender equality and child rights. He was elected unopposed as the Sarpanch of his village for 20 years.{{cite news|last=Panag|first=Gul|url=http://www.colshamshersingh.org/about-col-shamsher-singh.html |title=The Col. Shamsher Singh Foundation |date=30 July 2011 |accessdate=2014-06-19}} Panag has two children, a daughter and a son. His daughter, Gul Panag, is a Bollywood actress and social activist. His son, Sherbir Panag is the founder of the Law Offices of Panag & Babu, a boutique financial crime specialist law firm.{{Cite web|url=https://zicklincenter.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sherbir-Panag_Bio_12102018.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130123336/https://zicklincenter.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sherbir-Panag_Bio_12102018.pdf|url-status=dead |title=Sherbir Panag|archivedate=30 January 2020|website=zicklincenter.wharton.upenn.edu}} Sherbir is a top ranked lawyer for white collar crime in the Asia Pacific{{Cite web|url=https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/article/investigations-what-watch-out-in-2015|title=Investigations: what to watch out for in 2015|website=globalinvestigationsreview.com}} and is a senior fellow at the Wharton School's Zicklin Centre for business ethics. He has a sister, Ms. Gurdeepak Kaur, a social activist who joined AAP.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} His brother, also an army man, Major General Charanjit Singh Panag (retired) has various publications to his credit.{{cite news|url=http://www.the-south-asian.com/Jan-March2010/Sikh-Regiment.htm|work=Maj Gen (Retd) CS Panag, YSM, VSM, The South Asian Life & Times|date= January–March 2010 |title=SIKHS IN SERVICE OF THE INDIAN ARMY}}

Panag was commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment on 21 December 1969.{{cite news|last=Army|first=Indian|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/miora/ltgen_miora.pdf|title=List of retired Generals, Indian Army|date=1 January 2009|work=Indian Army Official Website|accessdate=2014-06-19|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723182756/http://indianarmy.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/miora/ltgen_miora.pdf|archivedate=23 July 2015}} He subsequently served in the 5th Battalion of the 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF) and the 9th Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, finally going on to command the 1st Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Army War College, Mhow and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He has authored several publications concerning Indian defence forces and national security.

Panag is experienced in both counter-insurgency and high-altitude operations. He also saw action in various wars and military operations. During his career he has served in various positions:

• Instructor in the Indian Military Officers Training Academy.
• Commanded an Infantry brigade.
• Commanded the 31 Armoured Division.
• Commanded XXI Corps, the strike formation of Southern Command.
• GOC-in-C of the army's Northern Command, Udhampur.
• GOC-in-C of the army's Central Command, Lucknow.

Panag also held the post of Additional Director General (Perspective Planning) at the Army HQ.{{cite news|url=http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20061226/546720.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195458/http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20061226/546720.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2016|accessdate=2014-06-19|work=Indian Army|date=26 December 2006|title=Lt Gen Kapoor to be new VCOAS; Panag, Jamwal to head N, E Cmds}} He retired as a lieutenant general on 31 December 2008. He was appointed an Administrative Member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench in June 2009 after retiring from the army. An upright officer he initiated as many as 120 Courts of Inquiry on corruption charges, soon after he took charge of Northern Command in 2007, after which he was transferred to Central Command in early 2008.{{cite news|last=Army|first=Indian|title=Ask No Questions|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/ask-no-questions/2368846}}

Panag made the 1st arrest of PoW even before the start of Bangladesh War when he arrested Flt. Lt Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi who later became ACM of PAF.{{cite news|last=Army|first=Indian|title=What Happens When a Prisoner of War is Held: From Lt Gen (Retd) Panag Who Captured India's First POW|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/what-happens-when-a-prisoner-of-war-is-captured-from-lt-gen-retd-hs-panag-who-captured-indias-first-pow-2051907.html}}

As Brigade Commander Panag, in April 2000, oversaw a military operation on the Chorbat la sector to capture Point 5310 across LoC as well as another operation to capture 3 more features across the Yaldor sector.{{cite news|last=Army|first=Indian|title=As Indians watch Uri, time for Army to talk about other daring and unsung operations|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/as-indians-watch-uri-time-for-army-to-talk-about-other-daring-and-unsung-operations/182638/}}

Panag along with Lt. Gen. Rustom K. Nanavatty devised a military operation codenamed 'Operation Kabaddi' in mid-2001 to capture 25–30 Pakistan army posts from Batalik in Ladakh to Chamb-Jaurian in Jammu sector on the LoC. The plan was to execute the operation in October 2001, but could not be carried out due to changed geopolitical scenarios after September 11 Attacks.{{cite news|last=Army|first=Indian|title=9/11 derailed Army's plan to capture Pakistani posts along LoC|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/911-derailed-army-plan-to-capture-pakistani-posts-along-loc/article26044550.ece}}

Panag became a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in January 2014 after retiring from the Armed Forces Tribunal. He campaigned for his actress daughter, Gul Panag in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Chandigarh which she lost to another actress Kiran Kher.

Panag won the following awards during his career:{{cite news|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/madras050412.pdf|accessdate=2014-06-18|work=Indian Army|date=1 January 2009 |title=Lt. Gen. H.S. Panag, List of Army Officers}}{{cite news|url=http://archive.india.gov.in/hindi/myindia/gallantry_awardslist.php?start=1520|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140619134235/http://archive.india.gov.in/hindi/myindia/gallantry_awardslist.php?start=1520|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 June 2014|accessdate=2014-06-19|work=Government of India|date=2008|title=Lt. Gen. H.S. Panag, Gallantry Awards List, Govt. of India}}

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal{{cite news|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=34900 |title=Republic Day gallantry and other Defence decorations|work=Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Defence |date=25 January 2008 |accessdate=2014-06-19}}
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

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{{succession box | before = Lt Gen O P Nandrajog|title = General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Central Command| years = 2008–2008| after = Lt Gen J K Mohanty}}

{{succession box | before = Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor|title = General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command| years = 2006–2008| after = Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj}}

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{{Aam Aadmi Party}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panag, Harcharanjit Singh}}

Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:Indian generals

Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal

Category:People from Chandigarh district

Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Category:Aam Aadmi Party politicians

Category:National Defence College, India alumni

Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

Category:Army War College, Mhow alumni

Category:Defence Services Staff College alumni

Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni