Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistan Military responsible for land based military operations. It is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came into existence after the partition in 1947. It has an active force of 550,000 personnel and an equal number in reserve.
Origin
Pakistan Army as a unit came into existence with the creation of the new nation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. On 30 June 1947, the British Indian Army was split, with most units going to India, and the rest remaining in Pakistan. It had its first taste of war almost immediately in trying to capture Kashmir where it was confronted by India. Initially capturing most of Kashmir, the army also sent in irregulars who supported joining with Pakistan. However this cost the army dear as Srinagar airport was captured resulting in the loss of a vital link. Later after a humuliating defeat the army was pushed back but not before occupying the North-western part of Kashmir (roughly 2/5th of Kashmir) which Pakistan still controls,the other 3/5th are under Indian control.
Major Conflicts
1965 war
In Pakistan, after prolonged failure to resolve Kashmir, the army was being seen as a mobile and highly capable unit. This led to the skirmishes in the Rann of Kutch on April 1965 where the Indian Army was caught unprepared. The result was a decisive one for the Pakistan Army which was praised back home. Emboldened by the success Operation Gibralter, the attack on Kashmir was launched later in the year. The plan was to attack the weaked Indian Army and capture Kashmir by force. However it proved to be beyond reach as critical mass did not support the intruding Pakistan Army and a full-fledged war (Indo-Pakistani War of 1965) broke out between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force was unable to match their Indian counterparts, the Army could not achieve the goal of liberating Kashmir. As the theatre of war spread to the plains of western India, Pakistan lost the initiative. The result was indecisive and the war ended in stalemate.
1971 war
The Pakistan Army had always been driven by greed. Even if the problem meant not just the government but also entire populations as in East Pakistan. Faced with popular unreset and revolt, the Army was forced to clamp down through violence. This resulted in further resentment among the Bengalis and thus demanded their freedom. With India assisting the freedom fighters, war broke out again between the two countries (Indo-Pakistani War of 1971). With overwhelming superiority the Indian Army ran through Pakistan Army in the east all the while inflicting serious casualities in the west. The result was the most humiliating for Pakistan Army as General Niazi surrendered to the Indian forces and 93,000 soldiers became PoWs, the largest since World War II. The war ended in just a fortnight with Pakistan losing half its territory in one of the swiftest military campaings of the era.
Covert Operations
After the Soviet occupation of neighbouring Afghanistan, the Pakistan Army aided by United States began started helping the Mujahedeen. This proved to be quite helpful in organizing stiff resistance against the Soviet Union. Many Army regulars fought in Afghanistan along with the resistence and was partly instrumental in seeing the back of USSR from Afghanistan.
Later, as the Kashmir dispute intensified the Army once again began sending soldiers disguised as locals to infiltrate Indian occupied Kashmir. This however was spotted by India and led to a full scale conflict, the Kargil War in which both Pakistan and India claimed victory. Despite the losses heavy suffered by the Pakistani army and armed seperatists claimed as "Freedom Fighters" , Indian casualities were comparitively less with Pakistani casualities in their thousands.
Political power of the Army
The pakistan army has always played an integral part of the Pakistan governement and politics since its inception. It has virtually remained as the 3rd party that came to power every now and then to stabilize a weak democracy. The first of them was General Ayub Khan who came to power through a coup in 1958. Later General Yahya Khan would assume power in 1969.Later General Zia ul-Haq ruled as a dictator virtually unopposed after the coup of 1977 which saw the end of Pakistan's first democratically elected Government and the Hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Pakistani Premier. The current President ,General Pervez Musharraf, came to power in a coup in October 1999 overthrowing the democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif who enjoyed wide support at the time.
Organization
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), formerly called the Commander in Chief (C in C), is challenged with the responsibility of commanding the Pakistan Army. The COAS operates from army headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. The four principal officers assisting him in his duties at the lieutenant general level include a Chief of General Staff (CGS), who supervises army intelligence and operations; the Master General of Ordinance (MGO); the Quartermaster General (QMG); the Adjutant General (AG); the Inspector General for Evaluation and Training (IGT&E); and the Military Secretary (MS). The headquarters function also includes the Chief of the Corps of Engineers, the Judge Advocate General, and the Comptroller of Civilian Personnel, all of whom report to the vice chief of the army staff.
| Division | Number |
| Corps Headquarters | 9 |
| Infantry Divisions | 19 |
| Artillery Divisions | 1 |
| Aviation Squadrons | 17 |
| Special forces Group of 3 Battalions | 1 |
| Armored Recce Regiment | 3 |
| Independent Mechanical Infantry Brigades | 6 |
| Independent Armored Brigades | 7 |
| Artillery Brigades | 9 |
| Air Defence Command with 3 Air Defence Groups, 8 AD Brigades | 1 |
| Engineer Brigades | 7 |
| Armoured Divisions | 2 |
Corps
There 9 Corps at various posts:
I Corp at Mangla II Corp at Multan IV Corp at Lahore V Corp at Karachi X Corp at Rawalpindi XI Corp at Peshawar XII Corp at Quetta XXX Corp at Gujranwala XXXI Corp at Bahawalpur
Paramilitary Forces
- National Guard 185,000
- Pakistan Rangers 35,000
- Frontier Crops 35,000
- Maritime Security Agency 2,500
- Coast Guard Classified
- Anti Terrorist Elite Force Classified
Another paramilitary branch called the Special Services Group (SSG) is an elite commando outfit.
The Pakistan Army is also undergoing a revamping that includes scaling down the number of soldiers from the present 610,000 by 50,000 soldiers and modernizing the army.
Weapons and Equipment
| Tanks | 2315 |
| APC | 1050 |
| Artillery Towed | 1470 |
| Artillery Self powered | 240 |
| MRLs | 45 |
| Mortars | 725 |
| SSM Launchers | 122 |
| Light SAM launchers | 850 |
| AA Guns | 2000 |
| Surface to Surface missiles | 100 |
| Anti Tank Guided Missiles | 820 |
Awards and decorations of Pakistan Army
The Nishan-E-Haider is the highest military honour of the country and has been awarded to only 10 people, all posthumously.
References
- Indian Army
- Jane's Defence Review