Pakistan Rangers

armed with a Heckler & Koch/POF MP5. The origins of the Rangers go back to 7 October 1958 where small paramilitaries were restructured and renamed to the West Pakistan Rangers. Wartime responsibilities border. The West Pakistan Rangers fought alongside the Pakistan Army in several conflicts, namely the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. After the war in 1971 and subsequent independence of Bangladesh, the force was federalized under the Ministry of Defence as the Pakistan Rangers and shortly afterwards in 1974, it was made a component of the Civil Armed Forces (CAF) under the Ministry of Interior. Since then, the Pakistan Rangers are primarily responsible for guarding the border with neighbouring India during times of peace and war. The Pakistan Rangers have participated in military exercises with the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group (SSG) and also assisted with military operations in the past since their revitalization and rebuilding after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The first such participation was in 1973, when they operated under the command of the SSG to raid the Iraqi embassy in Islamabad alongside local police. In 1992, the Sindh Rangers saw an extensive deployment throughout Karachi to keep peace in the city in support of the Government of Sindh. The Sindh Provincial Police and Pakistan Rangers were involved in Operation Blue Fox against the MQM with direction from the Pakistan Army. Due to their close association with the military, the Rangers also saw combat against regular Indian troops during the Kargil War of 1999 in Kashmir. In 2007, the Pakistan Rangers alongside regular Pakistani soldiers and SSG commandos participated in Operation Silence against a Jihadist private militia in Islamabad. The conflict started when, after 18 months of tensions between government authorities and Islamist militia, then the militia attacked the Punjab Rangers guarding the nearby Ministry of Environment building and set it ablaze and subsequently locked themselves inside the Red Mosque. 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. 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. ==Role==

in Iqbal Park, Lahore. 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. The Rangers have notably contributed towards maintaining law and order in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore in major crises. Due to the developing internal instability in Pakistan, the Rangers have become an extremely necessary force to maintain order throughout the provinces of Sindh and Punjab. == Ranks ==

File:Allama Iqbals Tomb East wall close-up July 1 2005.jpg|Pakistani Rangers guarding the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal in Iqbal Park, Lahore File:Baba Chamliyal Mela at Indo-Pak international Border, near Jammu.jpg|Baba Chamliyal Mela at the Indo-Pakistani International Border, near Jammu. File:Wagah Border Crossing Guards.JPG|Indian BSF personnel and Pakistani Rangers during the Wagah-Attari border ceremony. File:Pakistani Ranger.jpg|A Pakistani Ranger in ceremonial dress. File:Pakistani soldier.jpg|A Pakistani Ranger standing by in ceremonial dress. File:Wagah border ceremony4.jpg|A Pakistani Ranger during the Wagah-Attari border ceremony. File:Pakistani border rangers at Wagah border near Lahore 5.jpg|Pakistani Rangers at the Wagah-Attari border crossing. File:Soldiers at Wagah border.jpg|Punjab Rangers near the Indo-Pakistani border with G3 battle rifles. ==See also==