Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is land service branch of Pakistan Armed Forces and it is the most integral and essential one. Pakistan Army came into existence with the emergence Pakistan back in the 1947, time of partition of British India. Since then, Pakistan Army has been a force to reckon with. Pakistan Army has provided its services both in conflicts with various countries, in natural disasters and as well as in war against terrorism not only in Pakistan but also throughout the world. Pakistan Army is considered as one of the most powerful armies around the globe. Pakistan Army officers and soldiers are the bravest of all. Probably, Pakistan Army is the most loved government department in the country. Through a survey conducted by IISS in 2020, it was revealed that Pakistan Army consists of round about 560,000 active duty personnel who are performing their duty with utmost dedication day and night. Citizens of Pakistan can join Pakistan Army after reaching 16 years of age but they are allowed to participate in battlefield after the age of 18.
In this blog, you will know about brief history of Pakistan Army along with some important info about its working structure and past operations. The official motto of Pakistan Army is Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah. Main objective of Pakistan Army is to ensure the security of nation according to the Pakistan constitution. Pakistan Army is the backbone of Pakistan Navy as well as of Pakistan Airforce. Headquarters of Pakistan Army is located in Rawalpindi, Punjab.
Commanders
Pakistan Army is basically led by some highest ranked officers. They are known as commanders. Present Commanders of Pakistan Army are:
Commander-in-Chief President Arif Alvi
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Nadeem Raza
Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa
Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Azhar Abbas
List Of Pakistan Army Ranks
Soldiers and officers in Pakistan Army are given different ranks and BPS depending upon the nature of their job. Here is the list of all Pakistan Army Ranks in descending order:
Field Marshal
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant
Subedar Major
Subedar
Naib Subedar
Battalion Havildar Major
Battalion Quartermaster Havildar
Company Havildar Major
Company Quartermaster Havildar
Havildar
Naik (Nik)
Lance Naik
Soldier/Sepoy/Sepahi
A Brief History of Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army came into existence soon after the partition of British India which resulted in the division of forces. It was decided that the army would be divided by the ratio of 2:1 between India and Pakistan respectively. This was done very unfairly. Command and control at all levels of the new army was very difficult, as Pakistan had received six armored, eight artillery and eight infantry regiments compared to the twelve armored, forty artillery and twenty-one infantry regiments that went in the share of India. Lieutenant-General Frank Messervy became the first commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army. After the armies were divided between Pakistan and India, a war occurred between these countries in 1948 over the issue of some regions like Kashmir.
With the passage of time, many changes took place within Pakistan Army. The army fought many battles but also became the victim of politics. Politicians imposed favoritism in Pakistan Army which is still a tradition. British army officers who were controlling the army were stripped of their authorities. Ayub Khan became a major name in Pakistan Army after he imposed Martial Law and removed President Sikandar Mirza from his position taking the charge as President himself.
In 1965, 2nd war between India and Pakistan took place. It was hell of a war with record breaking numbers of Tanks involved during the invasion. Despite of low numbers, Pakistan Army successfully withstood the Indian Invasion and was able to protect Lahore from going under Indian Army’s control. The conflict was resolved when United Nations interfered.
During the period of 1970s, Bhutto administration was in power. Civil conflicts started in his reign and it didn’t end well for Pakistan. In 1971, 3rd war happened between Pakistan and India. Due to the less sources, lack of communication between army headquarters and inner conflicts of politicians with each other, Pakistan Army lost the battle and had to surrender around 93k-97k army personnel to India. It was the highest number surrenders by any country after World War 2. As a result, East Pakistan got separated and a new country named Bangladesh emerged on the globe.
Political instability increased with the passage of time and General Zia ul Haq took over the federal government. He took all the controls and the position of army became weak as many Army officers were needed in civil conflicts. This resulted in the loss of northern glaciers in 1984-85 to Indian Army.
In May 1999 another conflict happened with India at Kargil. General Parvez Musharraf led the Pakistan Army. This war resulted in heavy casualties at the border fighting. After 9/11 terror attacks in New York, Pakistan Army has provided its services in United Nations’ peacekeeping missions all around the world. Pak Army has received praise for its performance in peacekeeping missions.
Wars and Conflicts of Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army never hesitates or fears to face any kind of threat. Pakistan Army has been a force to reckon with throughout its existence. Evidence of this statement is the number of conflicts Pakistan Army has been a part of from the day of its formation. Here is the list of almost all major conflicts that Pakistan Army has faced:
Indo-Pakistani Wars and Conflicts
Pakistan and India were the part of British India until 14 August, 1947. After the independence of Pakistan, there have been many wars and conflicts among these two countries. These wars and conflicts include:
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 standoffs
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
Other than the conflicts with India, Pakistan Army has took part in various wars and conflicts around the globe. These include:
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
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)
War in North-West Pakistan
Operation Black Thunderstorm
Operation Rah-e-Nijat
Operation Zarb-e-Azb
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)
Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes
Internal Conflicts
Insurgency in Balochistan (1948–present)
Sectarian conflicts in Pakistan
Military Coups & Dictatorships
1951 coup d’état attempt
1958 coup d’état
1969 coup d’état
1977 coup d’état
1995 coup d’état attempt
1999 coup d’état
In the end, we are proud of our Pakistan Army because of its sacrifices and services for the nation. Pakistan Army has always been in the front line whenever the time came Pakistan Army missions motivate and encourage the youth to be a part of it and protect the nation from all the enemies.
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is land service branch of Pakistan Armed Forces and it is the most integral and essential one. Pakistan Army came into existence with the emergence Pakistan back in the 1947, time of partition of British India. Since then, Pakistan Army has been a force to reckon with. Pakistan Army has provided its services both in conflicts with various countries, in natural disasters and as well as in war against terrorism not only in Pakistan but also throughout the world. Pakistan Army is considered as one of the most powerful armies around the globe. Pakistan Army officers and soldiers are the bravest of all. Probably, Pakistan Army is the most loved government department in the country. Through a survey conducted by IISS in 2020, it was revealed that Pakistan Army consists of round about 560,000 active duty personnel who are performing their duty with utmost dedication day and night. Citizens of Pakistan can join Pakistan Army after reaching 16 years of age but they are allowed to participate in battlefield after the age of 18.
In this blog, you will know about brief history of Pakistan Army along with some important info about its working structure and past operations. The official motto of Pakistan Army is Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah. Main objective of Pakistan Army is to ensure the security of nation according to the Pakistan constitution. Pakistan Army is the backbone of Pakistan Navy as well as of Pakistan Airforce. Headquarters of Pakistan Army is located in Rawalpindi, Punjab.