Paramilitary forces of Pakistan
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The paramilitary forces of Pakistan consist of various organizations constitutionally charged with safeguarding Pakistan from external and internal threats. Their current strength approximately 421,627 personnel[citation needed].
The paramilitary forces can be divided into three categories, performing three distinct roles: Firstly the armed security forces (the Rangers and Frontier Corps), secondly a reserve force (the National Guard), and thirdly the Maritime Security Agency.
The Northern Light Infantry which was a paramilitary force until 1999, is now part of the Pakistan Army.
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[edit] Strength
| Service | Total active duty personnel |
|---|---|
| National Guard | 185,000 |
| Pakistan Rangers | 100,000 |
| Frontier Corps | 94,000 |
| Frontier Constabulary | 24,000 |
| Airport security force | 8,930 |
| Pakistan Coast Guard | 4,000 |
| Gilgit Scouts | 3,697 |
| Maritime Security Agency | 2,000 |
| Total | 421,627 |
[edit] Tasks
- Pakistan National Guard: The National Guard comprises the Mujahid Force, the Janbaz Force and locally recruited militia and are charged with air defense. Also included are the National Cadet Corps and the Women's Guard.
- Pakistan Rangers: The Rangers are headquartered in Lahore, Punjab and in Karachi, Sindh. This force has a border security role on the international borders of Punjab and Sindh and perform internal security duties as an extension of the Army. This force is organised on a provincial level but are subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior and are commanded by seconded army generals.
- Mehran Force: The Mehran Force, based in the Sindh province, performed the same function as the Punjab-based Rangers. The Mehran Force became the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in 1995.[4] It was a force of 25,000 men divided into "wings" of approximately 800 men each.
- Frontier Corps: The Frontier Corps, based in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province and Quetta, Balochistan is responsible for protecting the western border regions. The force is responsible to both the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions and to Army Headquarters. The Force comprises fourteen units based in the North-West Frontier and sixteen units based in Balochistan. Some of the local units have a long history such as the Chitral Scouts, the Khyber Rifles, Swat Levies, the Kurram Militia, the Tochi Scouts, the South Waziristan Scouts, the Zhob Militia, and the Gilgit Scouts. These histories date back to Colonial times and many of the regiments have distinguished combat records, e.g. the Khyber Rifles. These regiments can be "regularized" i.e. attached to regular Army as necessary. Khyber Rifles was in fact regularized during the 1965 war and fought with distinction in Kashmir.
- Maritime Security Agency: The 2,500-strong Maritime Security Agency, headquartered in Karachi, is a coast guard and is responsible for patrolling Pakistan's territorial waters. The MSA is equipped with a former Pakistan Navy destroyer, two coastal patrol craft and four oceanic patrol craft.
[edit] See also
- History of the Pakistan Army
- Khyber Rifles
- Indo-Pakistani Wars
- Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
[edit] References
- ^ Persons of 16 years of age with parental permission.[citation needed]
- ^ The Military Balance 2010, p. 367, International Institute for Strategic Studies (London, 2010).
- ^ The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
- ^ http://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=141
- ^ Pakistan airports on high alert after bomb threat. Sami Zubeiri, Brisbane Times, September 26, 2008
- ^ ASF Sky Marshalls: Proving themselves in a man's world, Express Tribune
[edit] External links
- CIA World Factbook 2005
- Pakistan Military Guide from GlobalSecurity.org
- Pakistan Military Consortium
- JCO Ranks
- Rank insignia of the World
- BBC Pakistan Military Through the Ages
| Comparative military ranks (Pakistan) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Rank Officers | |||||
| Army | Navy | Air Force | |||
| Field Marshal | N/A | N/A | |||
| General | Admiral | Air Chief Marshal | |||
| Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Air Marshal | |||
| Major General | Rear Admiral | Air Vice Marshal | |||
| Brigadier/Brigadier-General | Commodore | Air Commodore | |||
| Commissioned Officers | |||||
| Colonel | Captain | Group Captain | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander | |||
| Major | Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader | |||
| Captain | Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant | |||
| Lieutenant | Sub Lieutenant | Flying Officer | |||
| Second Lieutenant | Midshipman | Pilot Officer | |||
| Junior Commissioned Officers |
|||||
| Subedar Major | N/A | Chief Warrant Officer | |||
| Subedar | N/A | N/A | |||
| Naib Subedar | N/A | N/A | |||
| Other ranks |
|||||
| Battalion Havildar Major | Master Chief Petty Officer | Warrant Officer | |||
| Battalion Quartermaster Havildar | Fleet Chief Petty Officer | Assistant Warrant Officer | |||
| Company Havildar Major | Chief Petty Officer | Senior Technician | |||
| Company Quartermaster Havildar | Petty Officer | Corporal Technician | |||
| Havildar | Leading | Junior Technician | |||
| Naik | N/A | Senior Aircraftman | |||
| Lance Naik | N/A | Leading Aircraftman | |||
| Jawan | Sailor | Aircraftman | |||
| Template source: "Pakistani Army Ranks". http://pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=298. Retrieved 2009-06-05."Pakistani Navy Ranks". http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/pn_ranks.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-05."Pakistani Air Force Ranks". http://www.uniforminsignia.net/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=2502. Retrieved 2009-06-05. | |||||
