Pakistan Paramilitary Forces
Encyclopedia
The paramilitary
forces of Pakistan
consist of various organizations constitutionally charged
with safeguarding Pakistan from external and internal threats. Their current strength approximately 409,930 personnel.
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
.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
forces of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
consist of various organizations constitutionally charged
Constitution of Pakistan
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the supreme law of Pakistan. Known as the Constitution of 1973, it was drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and, following additions by the opposition parties, was approved by the legislative assembly on April 10, 1973...
with safeguarding Pakistan from external and internal threats. Their current strength approximately 409,930 personnel.
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
Northern Light Infantry
The Northern Light Infantry is a Light Infantry Regiment of the Pakistan Army. Headquartered in Gilgit, the capital of Northern Areas, Pakistan, it is the main force protecting the strategically important northern areas of Pakistan. The majority of this regiment's personnel come from native...
which was a paramilitary force until 1999, is now part of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
.
Strength
| Service | Total active duty personnel |
|---|---|
| National Guard | 185,000 |
| Pakistan Rangers Pakistan Rangers The Pakistan Rangers are part of the Paramilitary forces of Pakistan, and consists of members of the Pakistan Army under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pakistan Government. The Rangers are an internal security force with the prime objective to provide and maintain... |
100,000 |
| Frontier Corps Frontier Corps The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army... |
80,000 |
| Frontier Constabulary Frontier Constabulary The Frontier Constabulary, FC, is a paramilitary force responsible for maintaining law and order in the country.- Introduction :The Frontier Constabulary is a Federal Paramilitary Force of Pakistan which is largely drawn from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, but operates in all the provinces of... |
30,000 |
| Airport security force | 8,930 |
| Pakistan Coast Guard Pakistan Coast Guard The Pakistan Coast Guards is an important branch of the Pakistan Civil Armed Forces and one of the six paramilitary services operating under the administrative control of Minisrty of Interior, Government of Pakistan. Pakistan Coast Guards, headquartered in Karachi, is unique in that it has... |
4,000 |
| Maritime Security Agency Maritime Security Agency Pakistan Maritime Security Agency is a para-military law enforcement agency in Pakistan. Pakistan Maritime Security Agency responsible for protecting territorial waters of Pakistan. This should not be confused with the Maritime Wing of Pakistan Coast Guards, which performs Littoral patrolling of... |
2,000 |
| Total | 409,930 |
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 RangersPakistan RangersThe Pakistan Rangers are part of the Paramilitary forces of Pakistan, and consists of members of the Pakistan Army under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pakistan Government. The Rangers are an internal security force with the prime objective to provide and maintain...
: The Rangers are headquartered in LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, PunjabPunjab (Pakistan)Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
and in KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, SindhSindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. 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 ForceMehran ForceThe Mehran Force was an auxiliary of the Pakistan Army used for internal security duties in Sindh. In 1994 the Mehran Force had a strength of 24,000 and was organizationally divided into "wings" of approximately 800 men each....
: The Mehran Force, based in the SindhSindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province, performed the same function as the Punjab-based Rangers. The Mehran Force became the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in 1995. It was a force of 25,000 men divided into "wings" of approximately 800 men each.
- Mehran Force
- Frontier CorpsFrontier CorpsThe Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
: The Frontier Corps, based in PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, North West Frontier Province and QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, BalochistanBalochistan (Pakistan)Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
is responsible for protecting the western border regions. The force is responsible to both the Ministry of States and Frontier RegionsMinistry of States and Frontier RegionsThe Ministry of States and Frontier Regions is a federal government agency in Pakistan. The ministry is headed by the States and Frontier Regions Minister. Najmuddin Khan is the current Minister for States and Frontier Regions of Pakistan....
and to Army Headquarters. The Force comprises fourteen units based in the North-West FrontierNorth-West Frontier (military history)The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
and sixteen units based in BalochistanBalochistan (Pakistan)Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. Some of the local units have a long history such as the Chitral Scouts, the Khyber RiflesKhyber RiflesThe Khyber Rifles is a para-military force forming part of the modern Pakistan Army's Frontier Corps. Dating from the late nineteenth century the regiment provided the title and setting for a widely read novel, King of the Khyber Rifles....
, Swat LeviesSwat LeviesIn 1895 after the British conquered Swat, Dir, Chitral, Bajawar and Malakand, a collective force was established as the Swat Levies, which included therein the Dir Levies, Chitral Border Police and Malakand Levies. Maj. A.H. Dean who was the first Political Agent of Malakand was assigned the task...
, the Kurram Militia, the Tochi Scouts, the South Waziristan Scouts, the Zhob Militia, and the Gilgit ScoutsGilgit ScoutsThe Gilgit Scouts is the name of a paramilitary force that was originally raised, under the name the "Gligit Levies", in 1889, by British Army Colonel Algernon Durand...
. 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 AgencyPakistan Coast GuardThe Pakistan Coast Guards is an important branch of the Pakistan Civil Armed Forces and one of the six paramilitary services operating under the administrative control of Minisrty of Interior, Government of Pakistan. Pakistan Coast Guards, headquartered in Karachi, is unique in that it has...
: The 2,500-strong Maritime Security Agency, headquartered in KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, is a coast guardCoast guardA coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
and is responsible for patrolling Pakistan's territorial waters. The MSA is equipped with a former Pakistan NavyPakistan NavyThe Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
destroyer, two coastal patrol craft and four oceanic patrol craft.
- Airport Security Force: Safeguarding and protecting airports in Pakistan.
See also
- History of the Pakistan Army
- Khyber RiflesKhyber RiflesThe Khyber Rifles is a para-military force forming part of the modern Pakistan Army's Frontier Corps. Dating from the late nineteenth century the regiment provided the title and setting for a widely read novel, King of the Khyber Rifles....
- Indo-Pakistani WarsIndo-Pakistani WarsSince the partition of British India in 1947 and creation of India and Pakistan, the two South Asian countries have been involved in four wars, including one undeclared war, as well as many border skirmishes and military stand-offs...
- Pakistan and weapons of mass destructionPakistan and weapons of mass destructionPakistan began focusing on nuclear weapons development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who delegated the program to the Chairman of PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan...