Pakistan Army from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
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Pakistan Army From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pakistan Army Emblem Founded 14 August 1947 Country Pakistan Type Army Size 550,000 active troops 500,000 reserves Headquarter GHQ, Rawalpindi Motto Arabic:Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fi Sabilillah A follower of none but Allah, The fear of Allah, Jihad for Allah. Colors Green and White Anniversaries Defence Day: September 6 Engagements 1947 Indo-Pakistan War 1965 Indo-Pakistan War 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 Indo-Pakistan War Grand Mosque Seizure Soviet-Afghan War Siachen conflict Kargil War Global War on Terror Siege of Lal Masjid War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Website Official Website Commanders Chief of Army General Raheel Sharif Staff Insignia Flag of the Pakistani Army Aircraft flown Attack Bell AH-1 Cobra Helicopter Bell 412, Bell 407, Bell 206, Bell UH-1 Huey Transport Mil Mi-8/17, Aérospatiale Alouette III, Bell 412 -Pak Fauj (IPA: Pɑkʰ fɒ~ɔd ʒ);Reporting name: PA) is the land پ اک ف وج :The Pakistan Army (Urdu based uniform service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The Pakistan Army is a volunteer professional fighting force.[1]According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) it has an active force of 725,000 personnel as of April 2013. In addition there were around 550,000 reserves bringing the total to 1,275,000 troops.[2] The Constitution of Pakistan contains a provision for conscription, but it has never been imposed. The primary mandate and mission of the army is "dedicated to the service of the nation."[3] Since establishment in 1947, the Army (along with its inter–services: Navy, Marines and PAF) has been involved in three wars with neighbouring India and several borderskirmishes with Afghanistan.[4] Since 1947 it has maintained strong presence along with its inter-services in the Arab states during the past Arab-Israeli Wars, and aided the coalition in the first Gulf War. Recently, major joint-operations undertaken by the Army includeOperation Black Thunderstorm and Operation Rah- e-Nijat. Apart from conflicts, the army has been an active participant in UNmissions and played a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers from Mogadishu of Somalia in 1993 in Operation Gothic Serpent. Under the Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), by statute a four-star general, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.[5] Pakistan Army is currently commanded by General Raheel Sharif.[6][7] Contents [hide] 1 Mission 2 History o 2.1 1947–1958 o 2.2 1958–1969 o 2.3 1969–1971 o 2.4 1971–1977 o 2.5 1977–1999 o 2.6 1999–present 3 UN Peacekeeping Missions 4 Organization o 4.1 Command structure o 4.2 Commissioned officers rank o 4.3 Subdivision by profession o 4.4 Operational commands o 4.5 Corps o 4.6 Other field formations o 4.7 Regiments o 4.8 Special forces 5 Combat doctrine 6 Involvement in Pakistani society 7 Personnel o 7.1 Personnel training . 7.1.1 Enlisted ranks . 7.1.2 Officer ranks . 7.1.2.1 Academic institutions . 7.1.2.2 Science and technology o 7.2 Uniforms o 7.3 Ethnic composition o 7.4 Women and non-Muslim Pakistanis o 7.5 Recipients of Nishan-e-Haider o 7.6 Recipients of foreign awards 8 Equipment 9 Arms 10 Armour 11 Artillery inventory 12 Aircraft inventory 13 Anti-tank missiles 14 Air defence systems 15 Sports 16 References 17 External links Mission[edit] Pakistan Army serves as the land-based branch of the Pakistan Military. Chapter 2 of PART XII of Pakistani Constitution defines the purpose of the Army as:[8] 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 “ [9] upon to do so. ” History[edit] See also: Military history of Pakistan 1947–1958[edit] General Ayub Khan arriving to take command of the Pakistan Army in 1951 The Pakistan Army was created on 30 June 1947 from the division of the British Indian Army. The then soon to be created Dominion of Pakistan received six armoured, eight artillery and eight infantry regiments compared to the 12 armoured, forty artillery and twenty one infantry regiments that went to India. Fearing that India would take over the state of Kashmir, irregulars, scouts and tribal groups entered the Muslim majority state of Kashmir to oppose theMaharaja of Kashmir 1947. In response to this, the Maharaja acceded to India. The Indian Armed Forces were then deployed to Kashmir. This led to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Regular Army units joined the invasion later on but were stopped after the refusal of the Chief of Army Staff, British officer General Sir Frank Messervy, to obey Pakistani leader Muhammed Ali Jinnah's orders to move the army into Kashmir. A ceasefire followed on UN intervention with Pakistan occupying the northwestern part of Kashmir and India occupying the rest. Later, during the 1950s, the Pakistan Army received large amounts of economic and military aid from the United States and Great Britain after signing two mutual defence treaties, the Baghdad Pact, which led to the formation of the Central Treaty Organization, and the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954. This aid greatly expanded the Pakistan Army from its modest beginnings. The sole division headquarters that went to Pakistan was the 7th. 8th and 9th Divisions were raised in 1947; 10, 12thand 14 Divisions were raised in 1948. 15 Div was raised in 1950. At some point before 1954, 6 Division was raised and 9 Division disbanded. 6 Division was disbanded at some point after 1954 as US assistance was available only for one armoured and six infantry divisions. 1958–1969[edit] Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Pakistan Army took over from politicians for the first time when General Ayub Khan came to power through a bloodless coup in 1958. He formed Convention Muslim League which includes Pakistan's first elected Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto. Tensions with India continued in the 1960s and a brief border skirmish was fought near the Rann of Kutch area during April 1965.Pakistani army attacked India from the kashmir fornt. In response on the night of 6 September 1965 Indian Armyopened the war front to Punjab Province of Pakistan, Indian army reached near Pakistani city Lahore, eventually capturing a large area of Pakistan but a treaty was reached and the area was given back. The war ended with UN backed ceasefire and followed by Tashkent Declaration. According to the Library of Congress Country Studies conducted by the Federal Research Division of the United States, the war was inconclusive militarily.[10] The war was militarily inconclusive; each side held prisoners and some territory belonging to the other. The Pakistan Army considers itself to have achieved a victory because it simply insists and ignores the treaty of Tashkent by saying it was arranged by USSR, who managed to hold off significantly larger force attacking Pakistani territory at different points, which the PA did not expect and was not prepared or equipped for. Indian sources as well as neutral sources disagree and call the end result an Indian victory. All though Pakistan failed in gaining all of Kashmir, highly effective support from the Pakistan Air Force, which was unexpected, is often considered to have neutralised India's advantage in quantity of forces. The accurate artillery fire provided by the PA artillery units is also stated to have played a significant role. An uprising against General Ayub Khan during 1968 and 1969 resulted in Ayub Khan relinquishing his office as President and Chief of Army Staff in favour of General Yahya Khan, who assumed power in 1969. 16 Division, 18 Division and 23 Division were raised at some point between 1966 and 1969 and 9 Division was re-raised during this period. 1969–1971[edit] Main articles: 1971 Bangladesh atrocities, Operation Searchlight and Bangladesh Liberation War During the rule of Yahya Khan, the people of East Pakistan protested against various political and economic disparities that had been imposed on them by West Pakistan and massive civil unrest broke out in East Pakistan. During operations against these rebels, called Operation Searchlight, a faction of the Pakistan Army under General Yahya Khan was responsible for the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities.[11] Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and due to the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were numerous human rights abuses in East Pakistan(now Bangladesh) perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially against Hindus.[12][13] Time reported a high ranking US official as saying "It is the most incredible, calculated thing since the days of the Nazis in Poland."[14] The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on 26 March 1971, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military,[15] within one month. The prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by Pakistani planners.[16] The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in the mid of May. Soon heavy fighting broke out between Pakistani Army and Indian-backed Bengali freedom fighters, in this period the Pakistan Army killed estimated 3 million Bengali people. In December 1971.