Pakistan Army

Modernisation, Arms Procurement and Capacity Building

Dr. Shah Alam

• Verlag: VIJ Books (India) Pty Ltd
• Jahr: 2012
• ISBN:
  9789381411797
• Auflage: 1
• Thema: Politik & Internationale Beziehungen
• Thema: Politik

The book explains genesis, expansion, development, and modernisation of the Pakistan Army. It undertakes only the Pakistan Army and does not include the Pakistan Nay and the Pakistan Air Force. The book comprehensively explains and analyses the Pakistan Army. Initially, Pakistan had faced several challenges to meet its defence needs. Pakistan pursued strategy of external alignment to get arms and financial assistance. Pakistan obtained arms from various sources such as the US, Britain, China, Russia (former USSR), France, and others. It explains Pakistan's tie with arms suppliers and dynamics in their relationships. China transferred not only arms to Pakistan but also assisted in establishing defence industries. Pakistan-China complex relationship and Beijing's arms transfer policy towards Islamabad added intricacies in the regional security. Pakistan's arms acquisitions policy helped not only in expanding and modernising the Pakistan Army but also contributed in expanding and strengthening the defence industrial base. With the 550000 strength, modern and sophisticated arms, missiles and nuclear capable delivery missiles, the Pakistan Army has emerged a force in the region.

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Post-1971 Modernisation of the Pakistan Army

Pakistan had been facing serious challenges in the early 1970s. The loss of East Pakistan in 1971 and serious problems in the residual Pakistan raised questions over the survival of the country. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto assumed power while Pakistan was passing through the gravest crises. Bhutto initiated various measures to strengthen and modernise the Armed Forces. He restructured the military in general and the Army in particular. He allocated substantial resources to strengthen the Army. In the post-Bhutto period, the successive regimes in Pakistan, made efforts to modernise the Army. The Pakistan Army was organisationally strengthened and its size was increased. As a result, the Pakistan Army’s operational capacity was increased as well. The successive governments in Pakistan, allocated substantial resources for modernisation of the Army despite financial constrains.

The new units and regiments were raised during the Bhutto period. Gen Zia came to power through a coup in July 1977, made efforts in enhancing the combating capacity of the Army. Whoever came to power in Pakistan made endeavours to expand and modernise the Army.

The modernisation process of the Army began during the Bhutto period that was continued by the successive regimes. The trend was intensified during the Zia period because of the flow of the US/West weapons and funds to Pakistan in the 1980s. As flow of the weapons to Pakistan increased, the strength of the Army grew. In the post-1988 scenario, modernisation process of the Army continued and its strength increased. The Military Command and Control Systems were restructured, post-1971.

Modernisation of the Army during Bhutto

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became President on 20 December 1971, in place of Gen Yahya Khan. Bhutto assumed Presidency while Pakistan was in the days of gravest crisis.¹ The loss of East Pakistan deeply hurt Pakistan and caused unprecedented fears and resentments. Fears were expressed at home and abroad about the fragmentation of the residual Pakistan. Pakistan military was psychologically broken and demoralised. The sense of pride was severely injured because of the military debacle and the loss of East Pakistan. Bhutto became Prime Minister on 14 August 1973 and Fazal Illahi Chaudhury was elected as the President by the National Assembly and the Senate. Bhutto retained defence portfolio and appointed a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Aziz Ahmad, to undertake business not appropriate for a Prime Minister. With retaining two important portfolios, defence and foreign affairs, enabled Bhutto in restructuring the military and setting the direction of foreign policy. Bhutto took various measures, including military restructuring, to enhance security of the country.

In the post-1971 war scenario, Pakistan had been facing serious challenges. The loss of East Pakistan, revival of Pakhtunistan issue², and Baluchistan insurgency, brought Pakistan under tremendous pressure. India’s high defence expenditure and arms procurement in the period was considered in Pakistan, as threats to its security. Moreover, India’s ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’ in May 1974, alarmed Pakistan. India’s defence expenditure witnessed a steady rise during 1972-77. The manpower of the Indian Army was not increased but witnessed increase in the mobility and strike capability of the infantry, artillery and armoured units. Defence production was increased. India continued to receive sophisticated weapons and military hardware from abroad, particularly from the Soviet Union. Pakistan noticed the development and made efforts to strengthen its military.

Bhutto removed several senior military officers from service in the first four months (December 1971-April 1972) of assumption of power, like Lt Gen Gul Hassan Khan, Chief of Army Staff, and Air Marshal Rahim Khan, Chief of Air Staff, who were removed in March 1972. Some major changes were introduced in the administrative structure of the military high-command:

1. The nomenclatures of the heads of the three Services were changed from the C-in-C of the Army, the C-in-C of the Navy, and the C-in-C of the Air Force to the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Navy Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff respectively. The three chiefs were brought under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, with the President of Pakistan as the Commander-in-Chief. This system encouraged close cooperation among the three Services and stressed joint responsibility for planning, direction, and the conduct of war.

2. The tenure of the Chiefs of Staff was initially fixed at four years, but later, in 1975, it was reduced to three years. The government also decided not to give extension to the Services Chiefs.³

3. The post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) was created on the permanent basis, in order to promote the integrated defence system. Gen Mohammad Shariff was appointed its first Chairman on 1 March, 1976.

4. A White Paper on Higher Defence Organisation was issued by the Government of Pakistan in May 1976. It outlined the defence and strategic policy of the government and instit...