Civil Armed Forces
Pakistani paramilitary forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Civil Armed Forces (CAF)[2] are a group of nine paramilitary and gendarmerie organizations which fall under the Ministry of Interior, separate and distinct from the regular Pakistan Armed Forces, which fall under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for maintaining internal security, helping law enforcement agencies, border control, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, riot control, and anti-smuggling. They frequently operate alongside the Pakistani military in response to natural disasters. During times of war they can have their command transferred to the Ministry of Defence, and effectively combined to form a reserve force for the Pakistani military.
| Civil Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Ministry of Interior, Islamabad |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief |  President Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister |  Shehbaz Sharif |
| Minister of Interior |  Mohsin Raza Naqvi |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | 291,000 [1] |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
| Ranks | Army ranks and insignia Naval ranks and insignia Air Force ranks and insignia |
History
Some CAF units were originally raised in the colonial era on the frontiers of the empire, and played a key role in the consolidation of control by building a link between the state and communities in strategically sensitive frontier areas through recruitment to government service. In many areas paramilitary units continue to play exactly the same historical role decades after independence.
The CAF are currently undergoing significant expansion, with 57 additional wings approved for raising in 2015–16 to address internal and border security challenges and to provide protection for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This expansion is coordinated by a new two-star command established in September 2016, the Special Security Division.[3]
The CAF are paid for from the budget of the Ministry of Interior which also provides administrative support. However they are (with the exception of the Frontier Constabulary) commanded by officers on secondment from the Pakistan Army. They function under the operational control of army corps headquarters not only in wartime but also whenever Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan is invoked to provide “military aid to civil power”, as in Karachi since 2015[4] and in Punjab since February 2017.[5][6]
List of forces
Civil Armed Forces (CAF)
- Punjab Rangers
- Headquartered in Lahore.
- Divided into five commands, each composed of several battalion-sized "wings" of approximately 800 men each.
- This force has a border security role on the Punjab provincial external border with India. It also performs internal security duties (counter-insurgency, counter-gang, public order, etc.) under the operational control of Pakistan Army corps commanders.[7]
- Sindh Rangers
- Headquartered in Karachi.
- Divided into seven commands, each composed of several battalion-sized "wings" of approximately 800 men each.
- This force has a border security role on the Sindh provincial external border with India. It also performs internal security duties (counter-insurgency, counter-gang, public order, etc.) under the operational control of Pakistan Army corps commanders.[7]
- Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North)
- Formed in 2017 by the splitting of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Headquartered in Peshawar.
- Composed of eleven infantry and one armoured regiments, each formed from several battalion-sized "wings".
- Under the command of the Army's XI Corps, the force has been in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and foreign militants since 2003.
- Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South)
- Formed in 2017 by the splitting of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Headquartered in Dera Ismail Khan.
- Composed of ten infantry regiments, each formed from several battalion-sized "wings".
- Under the command of the XI Corps, the force has been in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and foreign militants since 2003.
- Frontier Corps Balochistan (North)
- Formed in 2017 by the splitting of Frontier Corps Balochistan.
- Headquartered in Quetta.
- Composed of ten infantry regiments, each formed from several battalion-sized "wings".
- Under the command of the XII Corps, the force has been in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations against the Pakistani Taliban, Baloch separatists, and the Islamic State's Khorasan branch.
- Frontier Corps Balochistan (South)
- Formed in 2017 by the splitting of Frontier Corps Balochistan.
- Headquartered in Turbat.
- Composed of ten infantry regiments, each formed from several battalion-sized "wings".
- Under the command of the XII Corps, the force has been in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations against Baloch separatists, Baloch Islamist-Jihadists, and the Islamic State's Pakistan branch.
- Federal Constabulary (formerly Frontier Constabulary
- Formed in 1915 as the Frontier Constabulary before being renamed in 2024.
- Headquartered in Islamabad (moved from Peshawar Cantonment).
- This is a gendarmerie that operates all over Pakistan. It used to operate in the border districts of Balochistan and border/tribal districts Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which were formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and was also used in Karachi to fight crime.
- Unlike the Frontier Corps, it's commanded by officers from the Police Service of Pakistan.
- Pakistan Coast Guards
- Formed in 1973.
- Headquartered in Karachi.
- Split into two sectors, each commended by a Brigadier and a few Colonels
- Sector West in Balochistan
- Sector East in Sindh
- The force should not be confused with the Maritime Security Agency, which is a coast guard in the Pakistan Navy which operates deeper into the ocean.
- Tasked with protecting the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh Province. Largely a shore-based force with a particular focus on combating smuggling
- Commanded by a two-star rank Major-General, who is borrowed from the Pakistan Army.
- Gilgit Baltistan Scouts
- Formed in 2003 as a replacement CAF after the previously paramilitary Northern Light Infantry was converted into a regular infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army in recognition of their performance during the Kargil War.
- Headquartered in Gilgit.
- Composed of six battalion-sized "wings".
- Under the command of the Army's Force Command Northern Areas, the force has been involved in providing security for infrastructure projects in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Other Paramilitary Organisations
- Pakistan Maritime Security Agency
- Created in 1987
- Headquartered in Karachi
- Consisted of 2000 active duty personnel
- Enforces maritime laws over the domestic and international waters of Pakistan including exclusive economic zone.
- Airports Security Force
- Formed in 1976
- Headquartered in Karachi
- The ASF is an 8,945-personnel organisation.
- The ASF is a federal airport security force agency under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation which is responsible for protecting the airports, facilities and the planes (on-ground or in-air) in Pakistan.
- Anti Narcotics Force
- Formed in 1995
- Headquartered in Rawalpindi
- Tasked with combating the narcotics smuggling and use within Pakistan
- Defence Security Force
- Formed in 1947
- Headquartered in Rawalpindi
- Tasked with the protection and security of military installations, air bases, depots, arsenals, and headquarters across the country. Also serves as the paramilitary element of the Pakistan Air Force Police (AFP).
50 Aviation Squadron
- 50 Aviation Squadron of the Ministry of Interior is the nucleus of an air wing designed to provide additional air support to CAFs, including in disaster relief and medical evacuations.[8]
Ranks
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Pakistan Rangers |
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_Pakistan_Army.svg) |
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| Director general ڈائریکٹر جنرل |
Senior superintendent of the Rangers سینئر سپرنٹنڈنٹ۔ |
Superintendent of the Rangers سپرنٹنڈنٹ |
Deputy superintendent of the Rangers ڈپٹی سپرنٹنڈنٹ۔ |
Inspector انسپکٹر |
Direct Entry Sub inspector ڈائریکٹ انٹری سب انسپکٹر۔ |
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| Pakistan Federal Constabulary[9] |
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| Commandant Federal Constabulary کمانڈنٹ |
Deputy commandant ڈپٹی کمانڈنٹ۔ |
District officer ضلعی افسر۔ |
Assistant district officer اسسٹنٹ ڈسٹرکٹ آفیسر۔ |
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| Pakistan Frontier Corps |
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| Commandant کمانڈنٹ |
Deputy commandant ڈپٹی کمانڈنٹ۔ |
Senior superintendent سینئر سپرنٹنڈنٹ۔ |
Superintendent سپرنٹنڈنٹ۔ |
Assistant district officer اسسٹنٹ ڈسٹرکٹ آفیسر۔ |
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 Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts |
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| Brigadier بریگیڈیئر |
Colonel کرنل |
Lieutenant colonel لیفٹیننٹ کرنل |
Major میجر |
Captain کیپٹن |
Lieutenant لیفٹنینٹ |
Second lieutenant سیکنڈ لیفٹیننٹ |
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 Pakistan Coast Guards |
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| Major general میجر جنرل |
Brigadier بریگیڈیئر |
Colonel کرنل |
Lieutenant colonel لیفٹیننٹ کرنل |
Major میجر |
Captain کیپٹن |
Lieutenant لیفٹنینٹ |
Second lieutenant سیکنڈ لیفٹیننٹ |
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| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Junior commissioned officers | Non commissioned officer | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Pakistan Rangers |
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior inspector سینئر انسپکٹر۔ |
Inspector انسپکٹر |
Sub inspector سب انسپکٹر۔ |
Havildar حوالدار۔ |
Naik نائیک۔ |
Lance Naik لانس نائیک۔ |
Sepoy سپاہی۔ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pakistan Federal Constabulary[10] |
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| Subedar-Major صوبیدار میجر |
Subedar صوبیدار |
Naib Subedar نائب صوبیدار |
Havildar حوالدار۔ |
Naik نائیک۔ |
Lance Naik لانس نائیک۔ |
Constable کانسٹیبل | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pakistan Frontier Corps |
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subedar صوبیدار |
Naib subedar نائب صوبیدار |
Head constable ہیڈ کانسٹیبل۔ |
Havildar حوالدار |
Naik نائیک |
Lance naik لانس نائیک |
Sepoy سپاہی | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts |
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subedar-Major صوبیدار میجر |
Subedar صوبیدار |
Naib Subedar نائب صوبیدار |
Havildar حوالدار۔ |
Naik نائیک۔ |
Lance Naik لانس نائیک۔ |
Sepoy سپاہی۔ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pakistan Coast Guards |
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subedar-Major صوبیدار میجر |
Subedar صوبیدار |
Naib Subedar نائب صوبیدار |
Havildar حوالدار۔ |
Naik نائیک۔ |
Lance Naik لانس نائیک۔ |
Sepoy سپاہی۔ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Junior commissioned officers | Non commissioned officer | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||