Insurgents were able to take out at least 3 Al-Zarrars, with one getting a hole blown right through the turret (in the front, out the back), since there’s no extra armor on the turret (there is a thin additional layer of composite In later models + ERA, but neither was being used then for some reason, and even that will not stop anything except maybe an RPG from the front, from the sides and rear it’s still just a Type 59).
It’s FCS and firepower are better than the Indian T72. Just recently IA is installing ELBIT TIFCS on about 60% of its T72 fleet, which will finally bring its FCS on par with Al-Zarrar, though its ammo is still older, so firepower still goes to the AZ.
The biggest issue with it is the abysmal crew comfort, it’s a only slightly enlarged type 59 turret in which they’ve had to fit a 125MM gun breech (it’s made for a 100MM gun), a semi-automatic loading system, the new FCS components, all that larger ammo, and many other upgrades, while still retaining a 4 man crew, in a tank that was already cramped. And there’s basically no chance of the crew surviving if one of those are hit either, since there’s no crew safety measures in place. There’s also no AC (the latter of these problems exist equally in the T72 as well, but that doesn’t help the AZs case).
I’m not saying we should retire them, rather we can’t, we just don’t have the numbers to do so, they play a very important part in PAs doctrine and they’re certainly better than having a stock Type 59. They’re still potent for the theatre they’ll be used in and the enemy they’ll be used against, firepower wise they’re literally on par with an original Al-Khalid and better than a T90S since they have comparable FCS and use the same ammo as AK, and yes it can fire the same ATGMs Al-Khalid and VT-4P can.
It’s just something that should be retired ASAP, and hence I hope it’s gone before it ever sees combat.