Pakistan Army

Pakistan Army
پاکستان فوج
Emblem of the Pakistan Army
Founded	14 August 1947 (1947-08-14) (76 years, 8 months ago)
Country	Pakistan
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	560,000 active-duty personnel[1] 550,000 reserve force 185,000 National Guard[2] 16,500 civilian personnel[3] ~560+ manned aircraft
Part of	Pakistan Armed Forces
Garrison	General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi Cantonment-46100, Punjab
Motto(s)	Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah[4]
Colours
Anniversaries	Defence Day: 6 September
Engagements	See list: Indo-Pakistani Wars and Conflicts Kashmir conflict (1947–present) Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Bangladesh Liberation War Operation Searchlight Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Siachen conflict (1984–2003) 1999 Kargil War 2001–02 India–Pakistan standoff 2008 India–Pakistan standoff 2011 India–Pakistan border skirmishes 2013 India–Pakistan border skirmishes 2014–2015 India–Pakistan border skirmishes 2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes 2020–2021 India–Pakistan border skirmishes Conflicts in the Middle East Omani Civil War Jordanian–Palestinian conflict 1967 Arab–Israeli War 1973 Arab–Israeli War 1979 Grand Mosque seizure Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar Durand Line Conflict Pashtunistan conflict Bajaur Campaign Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes Afghanistan Conflict (1978–present) Soviet–Afghan War Operation Cyclone First Afghan Civil War (1989–1992) Second Afghan Civil War (1992–1996) Third Afghan Civil War (1996–2001) U.S.-led War on Terror War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa War in North-West Pakistan Battle of Wana Operation al-Mizan Battle of Mir Ali Siege of Lal Masjid Operation Rah-e-Haq Operation Zalzala Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem Operation Sherdil Operation Black Thunderstorm Operation Rah-e-Rast Operation Rah-e-Nijat 2009 Khyber Pass offensive Operation Janbaz Mohmand offensive Orakzai and Kurram offensive Operation Koh-e-Sufaid Operation Rah-e-Shahadat Operation Khyber Operation Khyber-1 Operation Khyber-2 Operation Khyber-3 Operation Khyber-4 Operation Zarb-e-Azb Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad Pakistan–United States skirmishes 2011 NATO attack in Pakistan United Nations Missions Somali Civil War Battle of Mogadishu Yugoslav Wars Bosnian War 1999 East Timorese crisis UNSM Haiti Sri Lankan Civil War Military aid to Sri Lankan security forces Miscellaneous Conflicts Nagorno−Karabakh conflict (alleged) Internal Conflicts Insurgency in Balochistan (1948–present) Sectarian conflicts in Pakistan Operation Clean-up Operation Zarb-e-Ahan Military Coups & Dictatorships 1951 coup d'état attempt 1958 coup d'état 1969 coup d'état 1973 Pakistani coup d'etat attempt 1977 coup d'état 1980 Pakistani coup d'etat attempt 1984 Pakistani coup d'etat attempt 1995 coup d'état attempt 1999 coup d'état
Website	pakistanarmy.gov.pk
Commanders
Cessna Citation Bravo, Cessna 206 PAC MFI-17 Mushshak

The Pakistan Army (

Pakistani citizens can enlist for voluntary military service upon reaching 16 years of age, but cannot be deployed for combat until the age of 18 in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.

The primary objective and constitutional mission of the Pakistan Army is to ensure the national security and national unity of

In violation of its constitutional mandate, it has repeatedly overthrown elected civilian governments, overreaching its protected constitutional mandate to "act in the aid of civilian federal governments when called upon to do so".[12] The army has been involved in enforcing martial law against the federal government with the claim of restoring law and order in the country by dismissing the legislative branch and parliament on multiple occasions in past decades—while maintaining a wider commercial, foreign and political interest in the country. This has led it facing allegations of acting as a state within a state.^{[13][14][15][16]}

The Pakistan Army has a

Its existence and constitutional role are protected by the

The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so.

— Constitution of Pakistan^[22]

History

Division of British Indian Army and the first war with India (1947–52)

The Pakistan Army came into its modern birth from the division of the

A major division of the army was overseen by Sir

By 1948, when it became imperative in Pakistan that India was about to mount a large-scale operation against Pakistan, Gen. Gracey did not object to the deployment of the army units in the conflict against the Indian Army.^{: 59 [30]}

This earlier insubordination of Gen. Gracey eventually forced India and Pakistan to reach a compromise through the United Nations' intervention, with Pakistan controlling the Western Kashmir and India controlling the Eastern Kashmir.^{: 417 [29]}

20th Century: Cold war and conflict performances

Reorganization under the United States Army (1952–58)

In 1957, the I Corps was established and headquarter was located in Punjab.^{: 55 [31]} Between 1956 and 1958, the schools of infantry and tactics,^[40] artillery,^[41] ordnance,^[42] armoured,^[43] medical, engineering, services, aviation,^[44] and several other schools and training centers were established with or without U.S. participation.^{: 60 [37]}

Military takeovers in Pakistan and second war with India (1958–1969)

As early as 1953, the Pakistan Army became involved in national politics in a view of restoring the

From 1954 to 1958, Ayub Khan was made subjected with receiving multiple service extensions by the civilian Prime Ministers first receiving in 1954 that extended his service to last till 1958.^: contents[48]^{: 232 [49]}

The Pakistan Army under Ayub Khan had been less supportive towards the implementation of the

The war was militarily inconclusive; each side held prisoners and some territory belonging to the other. Losses were relatively heavy—on the Pakistani side, twenty aircraft, 200 tanks, and 3,800 troops. Pakistan's army had been able to withstand Indian pressure, but a continuation of the fighting would only have led to further losses and ultimate defeat for Pakistan. Most Pakistanis, schooled in the belief of their own martial prowess, refused to accept the possibility of their country's military defeat by "Hindu India" and were, instead, quick to blame their failure to attain their military aims on what they considered to be the ineptitude of Ayub Khan and his government.[66]

At the time of ceasefire declared, per neutral sources, Indian casualties stood at 3,000 whilst the Pakistani casualties were 3800.

However, most neutral assessments agree that India had the

With the United States' arms embargo on Pakistan over the issue of the war, the army instead turned to the Soviet Union and China for hardware acquisition, and correctly assessed that a lack of infantry played a major role in the failure of Pakistani armour to translate its convincing material and technical superiority into a major operational or strategic success against the Indian Army.[81] Ultimately, the army's high command established the 9th, 16th, and 17th infantry divisions in 1966–68.^[81] In 1966, the IV Corps was formed and its headquarter was established, and permanently stationed in Lahore, Punjab in Pakistan.^[82]

The army remained involved in the nation's civic affairs, and ultimately imposed the second martial law in 1969 when the

In a lawsuit settled by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the legality of the martial law was deemed questionable as the Supreme Court settled the suit by retroactively invalidated the martial law that suspended the Constitution and notably ruled that Yahya Khan's assumption of power was "illegal usurpation".^{: 59–60 [51]} In light of the Supreme Court's judgement, the army held the publicly televised conference when President Yahya Khan announced to hold the nationwide general elections in 1969–70.^{: 59–60 [51]}

Suppression, civil conflict in East Pakistan and Indian invasion (1969–1971)

In 1969,

In 1971, the II Corps was established and headquartered in Multan, driven towards defending the mass incursion from the Indian Army.^[82] In December 1971, the 33rd infantry division was established from the army reserves of the II Corps, followed by raising the 37th Infantry Division.^[81] Pakistan Army reportedly helped the Pakistan Navy towards establishing its amphibious branch, the Pakistan Marines, whose battalions was airlifted to East Pakistan along with the 9th Infantry Division.^[81]

The intervention in East Pakistan further grew when the Operation Searchlight resulted in the overtaking of the government buildings, communication centers, and restricting the politicians opposed to military rule.^{: 263 [87]} Within a month, Pakistani national security strategists realized their failure of implementing the plan which had not anticipated civil resistance in East, and the real nature of Indian strategy behind their support of the resistance.^{: 2–3 [88]}

The Yahya administration is widely accused of permitting the army to commit the

Commenting on the defeat, the military observer in the Pakistan Army, Major A.H. Amin, reported that the war strategists in the army had not seriously considered a full-fledged invasion from India until December 1971, because it was presumed that the Indian military would not risk intervention by China or the United States, and the high command failed to realize that the Chinese would be unable to intervene during the winter months of November to December, due to snowbound Himalayan passes, and the Americans had not made any real effort to persuade India against attacking East Pakistan.[96]

Restructuring of armed forces, stability and restoration (1971–1977)

PAF and Navy fighter pilots voluntarily served in Arab nations' militaries against Israel in the Yom Kippur War (1973). According to modern Pakistani sources, in 1974 one of the PAF pilots, Flt. Lt. Sattar Alvi flying a MiG-21 shot down an Israeli Air Force Mirage flown by Captain M. Lutz, and was honoured by the Syrian government.^{[106][107][108]} The Israeli pilot later succumbed to wounds he sustained during ejection. However, no major sources from the time reported on such an incident,^{[109][110][111]} and there is no mention of "Captain Lutz" in Israel's Ministry of Defense's record of Israel's casualties of war.^[112]

Middle East operations, peacekeeping missions, and covert actions (1977–1999)

Organization

Command and control structure

Pakistan Army
Leadership
Chief of Army Staff Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
Organisation and components
Frontier Corps National Guard Pakistan Rangers Frontier Works Organization Special Service Group Army Cantonment Board Pakistan Armoured Corps
Installations
General Headquarters Pakistan Military Academy Command and Staff College National Defence University
Personnel
Army Ranks of Pakistan Serving generals
Equipment
Equipment of the Pakistan Army
History and traditions
Military history of Pakistan UN Peacekeeping Missions Pakistan Army F.C.
Awards, decorations and badges
Awards and Decorations Nishan-e-Haider
v t e

Main article:

List of serving Generals of the Pakistan Army

Leadership in the army is provided by the

• Chief of General Staff, under whom the Military Operations and Intelligence Directorates function.^[2]
• Chief of Logistics Staff.[2]
• Quartermaster General (QMG).^[2]
• Master General of Ordnance (MGO).^[2]
• Engineer-in-Chief, the chief army engineer and topographer.^[2]
• Judge Advocate General.^[2]
• Military Secretary.^[2]
• Comptroller of Civilian Personnel.^[2]

In 2008, a major introduction was made in the military bureaucracy at the

The Army's corps are divided into three regional-level commands which are assigned for defending the territories of Pakistan.

Personnel

Commissioned officers

The

The military officers in the Pakistani military seek retirement between the ages of forty-two and sixty, depending on their ranks, and often seeks employment in the federal government or the private sector where the pay scales are higher as well as the opportunity for gain considerably greater.^{: 294 [137]}

Estimations by the

Rank	O-10	O-9	O-8	O-7	O-6	O-5	O-4	O-3	O-2	O-1	O-1
Insignia
Title	Field Marshal	General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
Abbreviation	FM	Gen.	Lt-Gen.	Maj-Gen.	Brig.	Col.	Lt-Col.	Maj.	Capt.	Lt.	2nd-Lt.
NATO Code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1	OF-1
Rank Hierarchy	Five-star	Four-star	Three-star	Two-star	One-star

Warrant officers

The Pakistan Army uniquely uses the

The usage of the junior commissioned officer is the continuation of the former Viceroy's commissioned officer rank, and the JCO ranking system benefited the army since there was a large gap existed between the officers and the enlisted personnel at the time of the establishment of the new army in 1947.^{[citation needed]} Over the several years, the JCOs rank system has outlived its usefulness because the educational level of the enlisted personnel has risen and the army has more comfortably adopted the U.S. Army's ranking platform than the British.^[38] Promotion to the JCOs/WO ranks remains a powerful and influential incentive for that enlisted personnel desire not to attend the accredited four-year college.^{[citation needed]}

Junior Commissioned Officer/Warrant Officer ranks

Insignia
Infantry/other title	Subedar-Major	Subedar	Naib Subedar
Cavalry/armor title	Risaldar Major	Risaldar	Naib Risaldar

Enlisted personnel

The recruiting and enlistment in the army is nationwide but the army's recruiting command maintains an ethnic balance, with those who turned away are encourage to join the either the

In the thirty-six-week training period, they develop an attachment to the regiment they will remain with through much of their careers and begin to develop a sense of being a Pakistani rather than primarily a member of a tribe or a village.^: 292[137] Enlisted personnel usually serve for eighteen to twenty years, before retiring or gaining a commission, during which they participate in regular military training cycles and have the opportunity to take academic courses to help them advance.^{: 292 [137]}

The noncommissioned officers (or enlists) wear respective regimental color chevrons on the right sleeve.^{: 292 [137]} Center point of the uppermost chevron must remain 10 cm from the point of the shoulder.^{: 292 [137]} The Company/battalion appointments wear the appointments badges on the right wrist.^{: 292 [137]} Pay scales and incentives are greater and attractive upon enlistment including the allocation of land, free housing, and financial aid to attend the colleges and universities.^{: 294 [137]} Retirement age for the enlisted personnel varies and depends on the enlisted ranks that they have attained during their services.^{: 294 [137]}

Structure of enlisted ranks of the Pakistan Army

Pay grade	E-9	E-8	E-7	E-6	E-5	E-4	E-3	E-2	E-1
Insignia								No insignia	No insignia
Title	Battalion Havildar Major/Regimental Daffadar Major	Battalion Quartermaster Havildar/Regimental Quartermaster Daffadar	Company Havildar Major/Squadron Daffadar Major	Company Quartermaster Havildar/Squadron Quartermaster Daffadar	Havildar/Daffadar	Lance Daffadar	Acting Lance Daffadar	Sepoy/Sowar	No Equivalent
Abbreviation	BHM/RDM	BQMH/RQD	CHM/SDM	CQMH/SQD	Hav/Dfdr	Nk/L Dfdr	L/Nk/Actg L/Dfdr	Sep/Swr	NE
NATO Code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
U.S. Code	SGM	MSG	SFC	SSG	SGT	CPL	PFC	PVT	–

Recruitment and training

Prior to August 1947, the British Army's recruiting administration had recruited the enlists from the districts of the Jhelum, Rawalpindi, and Campbellpur that dominated the recruitment flows.^[5] From 1947 to 1971, the Pakistan Army was predominantly favored to recruit from Punjab and was popular in the country as the "Punjabi Army" because of heavy recruiting interests coming from the rural and poor families of villages in Punjab as well as being the most populous province of Pakistan.^{: 149 [140][141]}

Even as of today, the Pakistan Army's recruiters struggle to enlist citizens and their selfless commitment to the military from the

In 1991, the department of the army drastically reduced the size of personnel from Punjab, downsizing the army personnel to 63%, and issues acceptable medical waivers interested enlists while encouraging citizens of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. This decision has given a fair chance to every citizen of Pakistan to be part of the Pakistan Army as each district possesses a fixed percentage of seats in all branches of the Army, as per census records.^{[citation needed]} By 2003–05, the department of army continued its policy by drastically downsizing the personnel from Punjab to 43–70%.^[143]

The Department of Army has relaxed its recruitment and medical standards in Sindh and Balochistan where the height requirement of 5 feet 4 inches is considered acceptable even with the enlists educational level at eighth grade is acceptable for the waiver; since the army recruiters take responsibility of providing education to 12th grade to the interested enlists from Balochistan and Sindh.^: 31 [9] In Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where the recruitment is popular, the height requirement remains to be at 5 feet 6 inches with minimum education of 10th grade.^[9]

The army cadets undergo training in Kakul at the Pakistan Military Academy where basic training takes place. Such training usually lasts for two years until the cadets are able to meet their graduation requirements from the academy.^[139] All the cadets have to attend and be trained at the PMA regardless of attending the military schools and colleges in other parts of the country.^[139]

Duration wise, it is one of the longest military training period in the country, and the training continues for two years until the cadet is being able pass out from the academy, before selecting the college to start the career of their choice in the military.^[139]

Women and religion in the Pakistan Army

Women have been part of the Pakistan Army since 1947, and currently there are approximately 4,000 women serving in the military.

The Army recruits from all religions in Pakistan including Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Christians who have held command-level positions.^[153] Religious services are provided by the Chaplain Corps for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians.^[82]

In 1993, Major-General Julian Peter was the first Christian to be appointed at the command position while Hercharn Singh became the first Sikh to be commissioned in the army. Between 1947 and 2000, a policy of restricting Hindus prior enlisting in the Pakistan Army was in practice until the policy was reversed by the federal government.^[154] In 2006, army recruiters began recruiting Hindus into the army and people of all faith or no faith can be promoted to any rank or commanding position in the army.^[155][156]

Equipment

The equipment and weapon system of Pakistan Army is developed and manufactured by the

The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) are the major defense contractors for the Army.^[157]

The Heavy Industries Taxila designs and manufactured main battle tanks (MBT) in cooperation with the China and the Ukraine, while the fire arms and standard rifles for the army are licensed manufactured by the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF).^[157] The Chinese cooperation and further assistance with the Pakistan Army is vital in designing, vehicular construction, and material manufacturing of the main battle tanks.^{: xxxv [158]} The standard rifle for the army is the German designed and POF manufactured Koch G3P4.^[157]

The defense funding for the army was preferential, which was described as the "lion's share", however, in light of CPEC's security demanding to secure the seaborne borders, the army financial planners significantly lowered its share in a view of strengthening the under-funded Pakistan navy.^[159]

Uniforms

From 1947 to 1971, the

As of 2011, the camouflage pattern of the brown and black BDU was issued and is worn by the officers and the army troops in their times of deployments.^{[citation needed]} The Pakistan Army has introduced arid camouflage patterns in uniform and resized qualification badges which are now service ribbons and no longer worn along with the ranks are now embroidered and are on the chest.^{[citation needed]} The name is badged on the right pocket and the left pocket displays achievement badges by Pakistan Army.^{[citation needed]}

Unlike other countries in South Asia, Pakistan army officer uniforms don't include a aiguillette, rather it is used mostly by aid-de-camps.

Flag of Pakistan is placed over the black embroidered formation sign on the left arm and class course insignias are put up for the Goldish uniform,^{[citation needed]} decorations and awards^{[citation needed]} and the ranks.^{[citation needed]}

Since its organization that commenced in 1947, the army's functionality is broadly maintained in two main branches: Combat Arms and Administrative Services.^: 46[37]^{: 570 [163]} From 1947 to 1971, the Pakistan Army had responsibility of maintaining the British-built Forts, till the new and modern garrisons were built in post 1971, and performs the non-combat duties such as engineering and construction.^[5]

Currently, the Army's combat services are kept in active-duty personnel and reservists that operate as members of either

Pakistan Army branches and functional areas

Combined Arms	Insignia		Administrative Services	Insignia
Armoured Corps (AC)			Service Corps (ASC)
Air Defence (AD)			Military Police (MP)
Aviation Corps (AVN)			Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME)
Artillery Corps (ARTY)			Medical (AMC)
Signals Corps (SIGS)			Education (AEC)
Engineers Corps (ENG)			Remount Veterinary and Farms (RVFC)
Infantry Regiments (INF)			Ordnance (ORD)
Special Forces (SSG)			Military Intelligence (MI)

Command structure

The reorganization of the position standing army in 2008, the Pakistan Army now operates six tactical commands, each commanded by the

In events involving the large and massive foreign invasion by the Indian Army charging towards the Pakistan-side Punjab sector, the Pakistan Army maintains the "Pakistan Army Reserves" as a strategic reserve component for conducting the offense and defense measures against the advancing enemy.^[165]

Infantry branch

Since its establishment in 1947, the Pakistan Army has traditionally followed the

In each of original six regiments, there are multiple battalions that are associated together to form an infantry regiment and such battalions do not fight together as one formation as they are all deployed over various formations in shape of being part of the brigade combat team (under a Brigadier), division, or a being part of much larger corps.^[168]

After the independence from the

Infantry branch^[169]

The Infantry Regiments by seniority	Insignia	Activation Date	Commanding Regimental Center	Motto	War Cry
Punjab Regiment		1759	Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa		Urdu: نارا-یا-حیدری یا علی (English lit. Ali the Great)
Baloch Regiment		1798	Abbottabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa	غازی یا شہید (English lit. Honoured or Martyr)	کی کی بلوچ (English lit. Of the Baloch)
Frontier Force Regiment		1843	Abbottabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa	لبّیک (English lit. Lucky)
Northern Light Infantry Regiment		1913	Gilgit Baltistan	سبط قدم (English lit. Consistent)
Azad Kashmir Regiment		1947	Mansar, Punjab
Sind Regiment		1980	Hyderabad, Sindh

Special operations forces

The special operation forces training school is located in Cherat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan where the training and education on the philosophy of military arts and tactics take place by the army instructors.^[171]

Each battalion in the

In addition to the Army Special Service Group (SSG), the Pakistan Army has trained specialized Ranger units in counter-terrorism tactics. These Rangers are equipped to handle complex counter-terrorism operations involving civilian hostages and assist the Sindh and Punjab governments in maintaining law and order.^[172]

Military philosophy

Combat doctrine (1947–2007)

The national security strategists explored the controversial idea of

Pakistan's military doctrine emphasizes a proactive defense, also referred to as "offensive-defense". This strategy prioritizes seizing the initiative in a conflict and launching limited counteroffensives to preempt potential enemy advances.[177] Proponents of Pakistan's "offensive-defense" doctrine argue that it offers several advantages. One key benefit is the potential to disrupt an enemy's offensive plans, forcing them to shift focus from their initial attack to defending their own territory. This could place Pakistan in a more favorable position by dictating the terms of engagement on the battlefield.^[177] The strategic calculations by Pakistan Army's war strategists hope that the Pakistan Army's soldiers would keep the Indian Army engaged in fighting on the Indian territory, therefore the collateral damage being suffered by the Indian Army will be higher.^[177] Pakistani planners also estimate that since Indian forces will not be able to reach their maximum strength near the border for another 48–72 hours, Pakistan might have parity or numerical superiority against India.^[177] An important aspect in "offensive-defense" doctrine was to seize sizable Indian territory which gives Pakistan an issue to negotiate with India in the aftermath of a possible ceasefire brought about by the international pressure after 3–4 weeks of fighting.^[177]

Due to fortification of LoC in Kashmir and difficult terrains in Northern Punjab, the Army created the Pakistan Army Reserves in the 1990s that is concentrated in the desert terrain of Sindh-Rajasthan sector, The Army Reserve South of the Pakistan Army Reserves is grouped in several powerful field-level corps and designed to provide defensive maneuvers in case of war with the Indian Army.^[177]

Threat Matrix (2010 – present)

After the failure of the "Offensive-defense" in 1999, the national security institutions engaged in critical thinking to evaluate new doctrine that would provide a comprehensive grand strategy against the infiltrating enemy forces, and development began 2010–11 for the new combat doctrine.^[178] In 2013, the new combat doctrine, the Threat Matrix, was unveiled by the ISPR, that was the first time in its history that the army's national security analysts realized that Pakistan faces a real threat from within, a threat that is concentrated in areas along western borders.^[178] The Threat Matrix doctrine analyze the military's comprehensive operational priorities and goes beyond in comprehensively describing both existential and non-existential threats to the country.^[178]

Based on that strategy in 2013, the Pakistani military organized a four-tier joint military exercise, code-named:

Schooling, teachings, and institutions

The Pakistan Army offers wide range of extensive and lucrative careers in the military to young high school graduates and the college degree holders upon enlistment, and Pakistan Army operates the large number of training schools in all over the country.

The United States eventually took over the overall training programs in the Pakistan Army under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) but the U.S. coordination with Pakistan varied along with the vicissitudes of the military relations between two countries.^{: 12 [184]} In the 1980s, the army had sent ~200 army officers abroad annually, two-thirds actually decided to attend schooling in the United States but the cessation of the United States' aid to Pakistan led the suspension of the IMET, leading Pakistani military officers to choose the schooling in the United Kingdom.^{: 294 [137]}

After the

Sources: Army Schools Archived 3 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine and Skills Schools Archived 21 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine of Pakistan Army

The Pakistan Army's training schools are not restricted to the department of the army only but inter-services officers and personnel have been trained and educated as part of the interdepartmental cooperation.

Established in 1991, the

Since the 1970s, the Pakistan Army's engineering formations have been involved in

The Corps of Engineers are the major civil engineering contractor and engineering consultant employed by the federal government, advising on construction management and on to improving the efficiency of construction measures in times of natural calamities.^[190]

The Pakistan Army's landmark civil engineering projects included the Lyari Expressway in Karachi, Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan and the Khanpur Dam in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.^[190] Besides their infrastructure projects in Pakistan, the Pakistan Army has built several infrastructures projects in other parts of the world as part their deployment in United Nation's peacekeeping missions.^[190]

UN peacekeeping missions

In the wake of the new world power equilibrium, a more complex security environment has emerged. It's characterized by growing national power politics.

Current deployment in UN Peacekeeping missions

Start of operation	Name of operation	Location	Conflict	Contribution
1999	United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)	Democratic Republic of Congo	Second Congo War	3,556 troops[191]
2003	United Nations Mission in Liberia ( UNMIL )	Liberia	Second Liberian Civil War	2,741 troops[191]
2004	United Nations Operation in Burundi ONUB	Burundi	Burundi Civil War	1,185 troops[191]
2004	United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire ( UNOCI )	Côte d'Ivoire	Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire	1,145 troops[191]
2005	United Nations Mission in the Sudan ( UNMIS )	Sudan	Second Sudanese Civil War	1,542 Troops.[191]
	Staff/observers			191 observers[191]

• The total number of Pakistani troops serving in peacekeeping missions is 7,533, as of August 2015, which is one of the biggest number among rest of participants.^[192]

Involvement in Pakistani society

The Pakistan Army has played an integral part in the civil society of Pakistan, almost since its inception.^[193] In 1996, General Jehangir Karamat described Pakistan armed forces' relations with the society:

In my opinion, if we have to repeat of past events then we must understand that Military leaders can pressure only up to a point. Beyond that their own position starts getting undermined because the military is after all is a mirror image of the civil society from which it is drawn.

— General Jehangir Karamat on civil society–military relations^[193]

In times of national calamities and natural disasters, including the devastating earthquake in 2005 or the great floods in 2010, the army engineering corps, medical, logistical personnel, and other armed forces services have played a major role in area rehabilitation and reconstruction of cities and towns while distributing the relief goods and military rations to the affected civilians.^[194] Since 1948, the army has been involved in providing power generation to affected areas, building dams, and construction of towns and cities, and conducting rescue operations for evacuations of general public and animals from endangerment.^[194]

To coordinate and manage the proper relief operations, reconstructions, and rehabilitation, the

Stephen P. Cohen in his article, Pakistan: Army, Society and Security writes:

There are armies which guard their nation’s borders, there are armies which are concerned with protecting their own position in society, and there are armies which defend a cause or an idea. The Pakistan Army does all three.

— Stephen P. Cohen^[197]

Corporate and business activities

The Pakistan Army's business interests, managed through foundations like the Fauji Foundation, have been a subject of international scrutiny. News agencies and investigations by financial regulators allege the military controls a vast network of business enterprises and conglomerates, with estimates suggesting a total revenue of US$20 billion in 2007-2008.^[198] The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Askari Real Estate are prominent examples of the Pakistan Army's large-scale real estate ventures. However, critics point out that none of the 46 housing schemes directly built by the armed forces cater to ordinary soldiers, civilian officers or other army personnel.^[199]

The Fauji Foundation (lit. "Soldier Foundation") is a Pakistani conglomerate publicly traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). It manufactures and sells processed meat, and operates stud and dairy farms primarily for the military's use. The foundation also has subsidiaries that contribute to the civilian economy through various enterprises, including bakeries, security services and banking. Its factories produce a wide range of goods, including sugar and fertilizer.^[198]

Awards and honours

Wartime Gallantry Awards

	Nishan-e-Haider (Order of the Lion)	[200]
	Hilal-e-Jurat (Crescent of Courage)
	Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage)
	Tamgha-e-Jurat (Medal of Courage)
	Imtiazi Sanad (Mentioned in Despatches)

Order of Wear
Nishan-e-Haider (Order of the Lion)	Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Civilian)	Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)	Hilal-e-Jurat (Crescent of Courage)
Hilal-e-Shujaat (Crescent of Bravery)	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Civilian)	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)	Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage)
Sitara-e-Shujaat (Star of Bravery)	Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)	President's Award for Pride of Performance	Sitara-e-Basalat (Star of Good Conduct)
Sitara-e-Eisaar (Star of Sacrifice)	Tamgha-e-Jurat (Medal of Courage)	Tamgha-e-Shujaat (Medal of Bravery)	Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Tamgha-e-Basalat (Medal of Good Conduct)	Tamgha-e-Eisaar (Medal of Sacrifice)	Imtiazi Sanad (Mentioned in Despatches)	Tamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal)
Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War (War Star 1965)	Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War (War Star 1971)	Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965)	Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War (War Medal 1971)
Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal)	Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India Medal)	Tamgha-e-Azm (Medal of Conviction)	Tamgha-e-Khidmat (Class-I) (Medal of Service Class I)
Tamgha-e-Khidmat (Class-II) (Medal of Service Class I)	Tamgha-e-Khidmat (Class-III) (Medal of Service Class I)	10 Years Service Medal	20 Years Service Medal
30 Years Service Medal	35 Years Service Medal	40 Years Service Medal	Pakistan Tamgha (Pakistan Medal)
Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e- Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam	Tamgha-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal)	Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)	Jamhuriat Tamgha (Democracy Medal)
Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal)	Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal)	Command & Staff College Quetta Instructor's Medal	Command & Staff College Quetta Student Medal

Nishan-e-Haider

In

Since 1947–2019, there has been ten Pakistani military officers and personnel who have honoured with this prestigious medal— out of which, nine have been officers and soldiers in the Pakistan Army, bestowed to those who engaged in wars with India.[203]

Order	Recipients	Rank	Regiment/Corps of the recipient	Year of conflict	War and Gallantry Ribbon
1	Raja Muhammad Sarwar	Captain	Punjab Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1947
2	Saif Ali Janjua	Naik (Corporal)	Azad Kashmir Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1947
3	Tufail Mohammad	Major	Punjab Regiment	1958 India-East Pakistan border skirmishes
4	Raja Aziz Bhatti	Major	Punjab Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1965
5	Shabbir Sharif	Major	Frontier Force Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
6	Muhammad Hussain Janjua	Sepoy (Pvt.)	Armoured Corps	Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
7	Muhammad Akram	Major	Frontier Force Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
8	Muhammad Mahfuz	Lance Corporal )	Punjab Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
9	Karnal Sher	Captain	Sindh Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1999
10	Lalak Jan	Havildar (Sgt.)	Northern Light Infantry Regiment	Indo-Pakistani war of 1999

Recipient of the foreign awards

The Pakistan Army has received foreign awards for its services to other nations. Notably, two army pilots from the Aviation Corps were honored for a daring rescue operation. Lt-Col. Rashiduhlla Beg and Lt-Col. Khalid Amir were awarded the Golden Order for Services by the Slovenian President in the capital, Ljubljana, for rescuing Slovenian mountaineer Tomaz Humar, who was stranded on the 8,125-meter (26,657 ft) peak Nanga Parbat.^[204]

In addition, there are numbers of the army general officers have been honoured multiple times with the United States's Legion of Merit for cooperation and strengthening bilateral ties with the United States 1980s–2015.^{: 261 [205]} In 2010, the Pakistan Army was awarded with a gold medal at the Exercise Cambrian Patrol held in Wales in the United Kingdom.^[206][207]

Sports

The Army offers programs in many sports including

References

Further reading

• Cloughley, Brian. A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections (4th ed. 2014).
• ISBN 978-1-85743-557-3
  .
• Ayub, Muhammad (2005). An army, Its Role and Rule: A History of the Pakistan Army from Independence to Kargil, 1947–1999. RoseDog Books.
  ISBN 9780805995947
  .
• Major Nasir Uddin (2005). Juddhey Juddhey Swadhinata. Agami Prokashoni.
  ISBN 984-401-455-7
  . (A Bengali-language book about the history of Pakistan Army)
• Paul Staniland, Adnan Naseemullah & Ahsan Butt (2020) "Pakistan's military elite." Journal of Strategic Studies, 43:1, 74-103

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pakistan Army.

• Official website