Pakistan Rangers

The Pakistan Rangers are part of the paramilitary force command in Pakistan.

It consists of members of the paramilitary forces of Sindh and Punjab under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pakistan Government. The prime objectives of Rangers are to provide and maintain security in hot conflict and crime ridden areas as well as other duties not acceptable for civilian police.

Wartime Responsibilities

A Punjab Ranger at the Wagah 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 Republic of India during times of peace and war.

Role

A Ranger in ceremonial dress guarding the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal 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In the past, they have also served as prison guards for high-profile terrorists until they were withdrawn from such duties.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.

Gallery

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  Pakistani Rangers guarding the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal in Iqbal Park, Lahore

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  Baba Chamliyal Mela at the India–Pakistan border, near the disputed territory of Jammu.

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  Indian BSF personnel and Pakistani Rangers during the Wagah-Attari border ceremony.

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  A Pakistani Ranger in ceremonial dress.

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  A Pakistani Ranger standing by in ceremonial dress.

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  A Pakistani Ranger during the Wagah-Attari border ceremony.

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  Pakistani Rangers at the Wagah-Attari border crossing.

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  Punjab Rangers near the Indo-Pakistani border with G3 assault rifles.

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