The Punjab Rangers (formally Pakistan Rangers Punjab) (Urdu: پنجاب رینجرز) is a paramilitary federal law enforcement corps in Pakistan. It is one of nine Civil Armed Forces and is one of two Ranger corps' with the other one being the Sindh Rangers, which operates in Sindh province. The corps operates administratively under the Interior Ministry of Pakistan but is usually commanded by officers on secondment from the Pakistan Army. Their primary purpose is to secure and defend about 1,300 km (810 mi) of the northern part of the border with neighbouring India. They are also often involved in major internal and external security operations with the regular Pakistani military and provide assistance to municipal and provincial police forces to maintain law and order against crime, terrorism and unrest.
Aside from the primary objective of guarding the border with India, the Rangers are also responsible for maintaining internal security in Pakistan and serve as a major law enforcement organization in the country. Despite this, they do not possess the power to make arrests like the regular police with the exception of when the state temporarily sanctions them with such an authority in times of extreme crisis. Their primary objective as an internal security force is to prevent and suppress crime by taking preventive security measures, cracking down on criminals and thwarting organized crime with the use of major force. All suspects apprehended by the Rangers during a crackdown are later handed over to police for further investigation and possible prosecution when the chaos is brought under control. The same privileges are also temporarily granted by the government to other security organizations such as the Frontier Corps for the same reasons.
The Rangers are also tasked with securing important monuments and guarding national assets in all major cities, including Islamabad.
In the past, they have also served as prison guards for high-profile terrorists until they were withdrawn from such duties.[2]
The "lowering of the flags" ceremony at the Attari–Wagah border is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959.[3] The drill is characterised by elaborate and rapid dance-like manoeuvres and raising legs as high as possible, which have been described as "colourful".[3] It is both a symbol of the two countries’ rivalry, and a display of brotherhood and cooperation between the two nations.
The origins of the Pakistan Rangers go back to 1942, when the British government established a special unit in Sindh known as the Sindh Police Rifles (SPR) which was commanded by British Indian Army officers. The force was established to fight the rebellious groups in sindh as the British government was engaged in World War II. Headquarters of this force was established in Miani Lines Pacca Barrack, Hyderabad Cantonment.
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the name of the force was changed from "Sindh Police Rifles" to "Sindh Police Rangers" and the protection of eastern boundaries with India was allotted to various temporary forces, such as the Punjab Border Police Force, Bahawalpur State Police, Khairpur State Police and Sindh Police Rangers.
In 1972, following the independence of East Pakistan and Legal Framework Order No. 1970 by the Government of Pakistan, the force was officially renamed from the West Pakistan Rangers to the Pakistan Rangers and put under control of the Ministry of Defence with its headquarters at Lahore.
In late 1989, due to growing riots and the worsening situation of law and order in the province of Sindh, a new force was raised for a strategic anti-dacoit operation. The paramilitary force operated under the name of the Mehran Force and consisted of the then-existing Sindh Rangers command and three Army battalions (including from the Northern Light Infantry). The Mehran Force was under the direct command of the Director General Rangers with a new headquarters in Karachi.
Following these events, the federal government substantially increased the strength of the Rangers and raised a separate corps headquarters in Sindh. On 1 July 1995 the Rangers were divided into two separate forces, the Punjab Rangers and the Sindh Rangers. The Mehran Force and other paramilitary units operating in Sindh were merged into the Sindh Rangers.[5]
In 2007, the Rangers alongside regular Pakistani soldiers and SSG commandos participated in Operation Silence against Taliban forces in Islamabad. The conflict started when, after 18 months of tensions between government authorities and Islamist militants, Taliban terrorists attacked the Punjab Rangers guarding the nearby Ministry of Environment building and set it ablaze. Immediately following this, they proceeded to attack a nearby Pakistani healthcare centre, kidnapping a number of Chinese nurses, and subsequently locked themselves inside the Red Mosque with hostages.[6]
Two years later, in 2009, the Rangers once again participated in a special military operation in Lahore alongside the SSG, when twelve terrorists operating for the Taliban attacked the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore. The operation ended with eight militants killed and four captured.[7] Later that year, the Government of Pakistan deployed the Punjab Rangers to secure the outskirts of Islamabad when the Taliban had taken over the Buner, Lower Dir, Swat and Shangla districts. Following these incidents, the Rangers participated in the Pakistan Army's Operation Black Thunderstorm.[8]
Punjab Rangers have also been involved in various operations against bandits, gangs and terrorist networks embedded in Southern parts of the Pakistan's Punjab province. In the areas of Rajanpur District, Punjab Rangers have often been called in to aid Punjab Police against bandits. In April 2016, Rangers carried out successful small scale raids against Chotu gang in the Indus River Delta of Ranjanpur. Dacoits had been using Indus River Delta as their base for many years to carry out criminal activities across parts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Punjab Rangers in support from Punjab Police and Pakistan Army launched joint operation codenamed as Operation Zarb-e-Ahan which lasted for about three weeks. Operation was highly successful in compelling bandits to surrender. As a result of active involvement of Punjab Rangers, the normalcy was restored in the strategic area Ranjanpur District, which connects three provinces of Pakistan.
Punjab Rangers personnel deployed for Muharram security.
Punjab Rangers have also been active against several sectarian and extremist groups in the parts of South Punjab. In 2016, the ambit of Operation Zarb-e-Azb was expanded and it was decided that militant groups active in the regions of South Punjab would be targeted.[12] Since then, Punjab Rangers along with Counter Terrorism Department (Pakistan) have participated in the highly sophisticated scores of Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) to dismantle terror networks. Resultantly, South Punjab has witnessed drastic improvement in its security environment.
The majority of the other officers come from the Army, however some Rangers can be inducted as direct-entry sub-inspectors. These officers can reach a maximum rank of Senior Superintendent Rangers (SSR) - roughly equivalent to the army rank of lieutenant colonel. Personnel joining as sepoys can reach a maximum rank of honorary DSR (Deputy Superintendent Rangers), which would be equivalent to an Army captain.
The force consists of about 16,100 Rangers,[4] divided into a number of smaller commands together with supporting units:[14]
50 Aviation Squadron (support from Interior Minidtry)[17]
Training and selection
Selection for the Punjab Rangers lasts between 2–3 weeks and both male and female citizens of Pakistan can join. Disregarding physical fitness standards, an applicant must be between 18 and 25 years old to qualify for entry. The educational standards is that the applicant must have passed with a degree in the Faculty of Arts (FA) or Faculty of Science (FSc), roughly equivalent to a high school diploma in the United States, from a government-registered college. After selection and training, a Ranger can be deployed to anywhere in Punjab province (or countrywide in times of crisis) or abroad if necessary, according to the Pakistan Rangers Act of 1959.
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