Pakistan Army | |
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Emblem of the Pakistan Army
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Founded | 14 August 1947 |
Country | Pakistan |
Type | Army |
Size | 950,000 active troops 500,000 reserves |
Headquarter |
General Headquarters Rawalpindi, Pakistan |
Motto(s) | Arabic: إِيمَان, تقوى, في سبيل الله English: A follower of none but God, the fear of God, struggle for God |
Colour | 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 Staff | General Qamar Javed Bajwa |
Insignia | |
Flag | |
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 |
Pakistan Army (Urdu: پاک فوج Pak Fauj (IPA: pɑk fɒ~ɔd͡ʒ); Reporting name: PA) is the land-based service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It came into existence after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) it had an active force of approximately 620,000 active personnel as of 2017. In Pakistan, there is 16–23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18. Pakistan Army has started inducting women as commissioned officers. Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors in 2012 see details at Women in the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Since its establishment in 1947, the Army (along with its inter–services: the Navy and the Air Force) has been involved in four wars with neighbouring India and several border skirmishes with Afghanistan. Since 1947, it has also maintained a 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 include Operation Zarb-e-AzbOperation Toar-e-Tander (Black Thunderstorm) and Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path to Salvation).