in the supervision and conduct of the war. The
secretariat of the committee serves as the principal
link between the service headquarters and the
Ministry of Defence in addition to coordinating
matters between the services. The three branches
within the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee deal with
planning, training, and logistics. Affiliated with
the committee are the offices of the engineer in
chief, the director general of medical service, the
director of inter-services intelligence, and the
director of inter-services public relations.
Joint
Chiefs of Staff
The 3 Service Chiefs together
with the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of
Staff form the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
- General Ehsan ul Haq —
Chairman of Joint Chiefs of
Staff
- General Pervez Musharraf —
Chief of Army Staff
- Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir
— Chief of Naval Staff
- Air Chief Marshal Tanvir
Mahmood Ahmed — Chief of Air
Staff
Troop Strength
| Service |
Total Active Duty Personnel |
Total Reserve Personnel |
| Army |
550,000 |
513,000 |
| Navy |
24,000 |
5,000 |
| Air Force |
45,000 |
10,000 |
| Paramilitary Forces |
302,000 |
0 |
| Coast Guard |
Classified |
Classified |
| Total |
921,000 |
528,000 |
Uniforms
The standard uniform for the Pakistan Army is a mixture of a Greenish-Brown
colored overalls but this has been recently transitioned to a camouflage pattern
uniform which is standard for other armies of the world. The colors of the new
camouflage pattern uniform depend on which geographical areas the troops operate
so that they can blend in with the environment.
Rank Structure
The rank structure is also patterned on the British model. Following the
British Indian tradition, there are three junior commissioned officer (JCO)
grades between enlisted and officer rank for those who rise by promotion from
among enlisted recruits. The junior commissioned officer is a continuation of
the former viceroy's commissioned officer rank during the British colonial
period. Promotion to JCO rank, however, remains a powerful incentive for
enlisted personnel; thus, if JCO ranks are ever phased out, it will likely be a
slow process.
Gallantry awards
| Award |
Description |
British Equivalent |
| Nishan-i-Haider /
The Order of the Lion |
This is Pakistan's highest decoration for the greatest acts of bravery
in battle. The decoration may be awarded to any member of Pakistan's armed
forces, regardless of rank or branch of service, for extraordinary bravery
in the face of the enemy. This medal has only been awarded to 10
Shahed(Dead in Holy war) men since 1947. |
Victoria
Cross |
| Nishan-i-Shujaat / Order of Bravery |
Awarded for military and civilian acts of courage under circumstances
of danger to oneself. In general, these are not acts of bravery performed
under hostile fire or in combat situations. |
George Cross |
| Hilal-i-Jur'at / Crescent of Courage |
Awarded to officers for acts of valor, courage, or devotion to duty in
the face of the enemy. |
British
Distinguished Service Order |
| Sitara-i-Jur'at / Star of Courage |
Awarded to officers, junior commissioned officers, and warrant
officers for gallantry and distinguished services in the face of the
enemy. |
British Military
Cross |
| Tamgha-i-Jur'at / Medal of Courage |
Awarded to non-commissioned officers and enlisted men for gallantry
and distinguished services in the face of the enemy. |
British
Distinguished Conduct |
Role
of Religion
( Yasir Khan Niazi) Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto and General Zia-ul-Haq were
instrumental in introducing Islam
and Islamic practices into the
Military. Alcoholic beverages were
banned and mullah as chaplains were
assigned to go into combat with
troops. Mosques were built inside
military bases and Islamic texts and
courses on Islam were made
compulsory for officers. The
Military establishment rejected the
idea of total war that emerged in
Europe in the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries as un-Islamic
and emphasized verses from the Quran
which sees force only as a last
resort. The function of the military
is seen less of a capability for
combat but rather preventing wars by
instilling fear in the heart of the
enemies.
However most officers consider
religion a purely personal matter
and relatively few Pakistani
soldiers have turned to Islamic
fundamentalism. Secular and western
doctrines of warfare have been
incorporated into the armed forces
as the Generals know that modern
land, sea and air combat tactics are
not determined by religion.
Foreign military relations
USA and NATO
Pakistan’s has had an on-again and off-again
relationship with the United States. When relations
were good, this meant access to funds, sophisticated
weaponry and training. When relations were bad, it
meant bitter disillusionment and the severing of
support at critical junctures. These wide swings of
fortune are something to which the Pakistanis have
become accustomed, and they recognize that, whatever
the provocation, the relationship with the United
States has too much potential benefit to be
discarded lightly.
China
China has been a steady source of military equipment
and has cooperated with Pakistan in setting up
weapons production and modernization facilities.
Within months of the 1965 and 1971 wars, China began
to re-supply the depleted Pakistani forces. Between
1965 and 1982, China was Pakistan's main military
supplier, and materiel has continued to be
transferred.
Arab Countries
The Pakistani military's close ties to the nations
of the Middle East are based on a combination of
geography and shared religion. The closest ties are
with Saudi Arabia--a sporadically generous patron;
much of the equipment bought from the United States
during the 1980s, for example, was paid for by the
Saudis. The smaller Persian Gulf states also have
been sources of important financial support. The
flow of benefits has been reciprocated. Beginning in
the 1960s, Pakistanis have been detailed as
instructors and trainers in Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Syria, Libya, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistani pilots, sailors, and technicians have
played key roles in some Persian Gulf military
forces, and Arabs have been trained both in their
home countries and in military training
establishments in Pakistan.
Iran & Turkey
Pakistan enjoyed strong military relations with Iran
during the Shah era. Both Pakistan and Iran were in
the American camp opposing the Soviet Union and its
allies which included India. During the 1965 war of
Pakistan with India the Shah provided free fuel to
the Pakistani planes who used to land on Iranian
soil, refuel and the take off. After the Iranian
revolution, Pakistan was among the first countries
to recognize the new Iranian government and
continued to maintain strong military relations.
Iran sent its Military officers and personnel to be
trained in Pakistani academies when military and
diplomatic ties with the USA was severed following
the hostage taking of the US Embassy. Pakistan also
helped give spare parts and other items to the
largely American equipped Iranian Military. The
relations began to deteriorate when the Soviet war
in Afghanistan caused large number of Sunni foreign
fighters to arrive in Pakistan. Their extremist
views towards Shia caused tensions to rise between
Sunni and Shia communities in Pakistan much to the
discomfort of Iran. The Arab countries and USA
pressured Pakistan to stop its military aid to Iran
due to the Iraq-Iran War in which USA and Sunni Arab
countries were backing Iraq. Iran was blamed for the
rising ethnic tensions between Sunni and Shia
because of Pakistan's support of Iraq during the
Iraq-Iraq war. Relations continued to decline in the
1990s when with Pakistan's help, the Sunni
extremist, Taliban came to power in Afghanistan.
Iran and the Taliban almost went to war in 1997 over
territorial and drug trafficking disputes.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Iran move closer to
India.
After 9/11 and the overthrow of the Taliban,
Pakistan and Iran have begun re-build their ties.
Delegations have been exchanged, and Pakistan has
sold military equipment to Iran. Pakistan also has
military ties with Turkey and would like to use
these, as well as its Iranian connections, as a
bridge to the new Muslim states of Central Asia.
Military Intelligence
Pakistan's Military Intelligence (MI) is one of the
three main intelligence serives in Pakistan. MI is
tasked with counter-insurgency operations,
identifying and eliminating sleeper cells, foreign
agents and other anti Pakistani elements within
Pakistan. Additional functions involve monitoring
high level military and political leaders and safe
guarding critical facilities such as military and
non-military installations. MI also has limited
external role as well.
Military Academies
Pakistan Army soldiers during an excercisePakistan
has some of the best military academies in Asia and
many officer corps from Asian as well as some
African and Eastern European countries attend
Pakistan's Military Academies.
The Military Academies Are:
College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Army Medical College
College of Flying Training
Command and Staff College
Military College of Engineering
Military College of Signals
Pakistan Air Force Academy
Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Navy Engineering College
Military Justice
The military justice system rests on three similar
service laws: the Pakistan Army Act (1952), the
Pakistan Air Force Act (1953), and the Pakistan Navy
Ordinance (1961). The acts are administered by the
individual services under the central supervision of
the Ministry of Defence. The army has a four-tier
system; the air force and navy, three-tier systems.
The differences in tier levels reflect whether their
competence extends to officers or enlisted men only
and the severity of the punishment that may be
imposed.
Civilian courts cannot question decisions handed
down by the military court and double jeopardy is
prohibited. In cases where a military person is
alleged to have committed a crime against a
civilian, the central government determines whether
military or civilian courts have jurisdiction.
Former servicemen in civilian life who are accused
of felonies committed while on active duty are
liable for prosecution under the jurisdiction of
military courts. These courts are empowered to mete
out a wide range of punishments including death. All
sentences of imprisonment are served in military
prisons or detention barracks. |
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