Transition Time In Pakistan — страница 7

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lightly armed and tend to be robust in the internal security role out of their areas, as occurred when units were so employed in Sindh in 1992. The Pakistan Rangers (25,00030,000) are commanded by a two star Director General and are in three commands: Mehran Force (also two star), based in Karachi, is an internal security force working under HQ 5 Corps, although theoretically answerable to the Interior Ministry; and two groups are stationed along the border with India. Tasks of the latter include protection of the border area and its inhabitants, collection of low-level intelligence concerning Indian military movements, co-operation with civil police concerning smuggling and dacoity (rural gangsterism), and guarding the sole international road crossing-point, near Lahore. The

Airport Security Force is a guard organisation responsible for security of facilities and equipment, and is commanded by a brigadier. Its training is adequate for guard, search and escort duties, but it would not be capable of defending installations against coup de main or paratroop attack. The Frontier Constabulary of 5,000 is independent but associated with the FC NWFP and subordinate to that province government, as it works in the ’settled’ rather than the ‘tribal’ areas (in the latter, only tribal law applies). The Balochistan Constabulary (about 2,500) performs much the same task in its province, but answers to the Interior Ministry. The Coast Guard (about 2,000 in three battalions) performs anti-smuggling tasks. It is commanded by a brigadier and its officers are

seconded from the army for about 12 months. Levies and Khassadars are relics of colonial days, whose role is to provide some measure of policing in the tribal areas of NWFP. Their questionable effectiveness lies in belonging to local tribes and providing a measure of ‘umpiring’ between them. The Northern Light Infantry, successor to the Gilgit and Karakoram Scouts, of 13 battalions (about 12,000 men), with its HQ in Bunji, south of Gilgit (see map), is commanded by the Force Commander Northern Areas (FCNA) and has not been subordinate to the Interior Ministry for many years other than in name. Its soldiers are locally recruited and accustomed to mountain conditions in which they perform outstandingly, but are not easily trained in advanced technology. As most of these forces

are officered by the army there is sometimes disagreement between their commanders and the Office of the Military Secretary in GHQ, Rawalpindi, which is responsible for officer management and postings. The paramilitary forces complain that they cannot perform their tasks without above-average officers, and MS Branch states that there are not enough of these to go round. The Rangers and the Frontier Corps are most efficient in their designated fields and would be effective as guerrillas should there be general war. MAIN REGIMENTAL AND CORPS TRAINING CENTRES INFANTRY Azad Kashmir Regiment Attock Baloch Regiment Abbotabad Frontier Force Regiment Abbotabad Punjab Regiment Mardan Sindh Regiment Petaro School of Infantry and Tactics Quetta Armoured Corps Nowshera Corps of Artillery

(Artillery centre at Attock) Nowshera Corps of Engineers Risalpur Army Aviation Corps Rawalpindi Corps of Signals (College, Rawalpindi) Kohat Corps of Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Rawalpindi Army Service Corps Nowshera School of Logistics Murree School of Army Education Murree Command & Staff College Quetta School of Mountain Warfare (also Skardu) Abbotabad Special Services Group Cherat & Attock Parachute School Peshawar Corps of Military Police Dera Ismail Khan