Demographics of the Pakistan Armed Forces relates to the ethnic, religious, age, and other population-related statistics of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Manpower edit
As of 2010, there are 617,000 personnel serving in the Pakistan Armed Forces, making it the seventh largest military in the world in terms of active troops.
Service age edit
Depending on rank, most Pakistani officers typically retire, at a maximum, between the ages of 52 and 60.[citation needed]
Ethnic composition edit
The ethnic composition of the armed forces is a mix of the various regional ethnic groups of Pakistan, with the numerical military strength of each ethnic group being more or less proportional to the national ethnic composition – reflecting similarity with the country's demographics. As of 2007, Punjabis, the largest ethnic group in the country, were the largest ethnic group in the military constituting just over 57% of the army.[1] The Saraikis of southern Punjab are also counted among the recruitment from Punjab. The second largest regional recruitment comes from Sindh (including ethnic Sindhis and Urdu-speakers), constituting 17% of the army based on 2011 projections by the ISPR.[1] The Pashtuns constitute about 14.5% of the army.[1] The Baloch comprised 4% of the army as of 2011 projections.[1] Likewise, military personnel from Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan constituted about 9% of the army.[1]
Punjabis edit
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Pashtuns edit
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Kashmiris edit
General Aziz Khan is a native of Azad Kashmir. Former Pakistani air chief marshal Mushaf Ali Mir was a native of Lahore who also had an ethnic Kashmiri background.[2]
Baloch edit
Lt. General Abdul Qadir Baloch from Quetta was the first ethnic Baloch general in the Pakistan Army.[3] From 2010 to 2013, over 10,000 Baloch youth were inducted into the army.[4][5]
Hazaras edit
General Muhammad Musa was the 4th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan. Saira Batool, an ethnic Hazara, was one of the first female pilots in the Pakistan Air Force. [1]
Gallery edit
- Ethnic backgrounds of prominent Pakistani military officers
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Field Marshal Ayub Khan, 1st chief martial law administrator and 2nd President of Pakistan, a Hindko-speaking ethnic Pashtun. -
General Aziz Khan, an ethnic Kashmiri, is the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CommitteeGeneral Aziz Khan, an ethnic Kashmiri, is the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
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General Pervez Musharraf, 13th Chief of Army Staff and 10th President of Pakistan is an Urdu-speaker from Karachi. -
General Muhammad Musa Khan (right), 4th Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, was an ethnic Hazara from Quetta.
Religion edit
Islam is the predominant faith of the Pakistan Armed Forces, with 99% of Pakistani military personnel adhering to the religion. There are also a sizable number of military personnel who belong to minority faiths such as Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism. As of 2007, minorities constituted 0.72% of the army, up from 0.29% in the year 2000.[1] 70% of Pakistan Army officers are Sunni, with the remaining 30% being Shia.[6]
Gender edit
a two-star woman general in the Pakistan Army.]]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f "Punjab's dominance in army being reduced: ISPR". Dawn. 14 September 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ http://www.paffalcons.com/cas/mushaf-ali-mir.php
- ^ "Federal cabinet unveiled: Enter the ministers". The Express Tribune. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ "Army to recruit 10,000 Baloch youth". Express Tribune. 3 January 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ "10,082 join army from Balochistan in 3 years". The News. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ http://nation.com.pk/blogs/05-Apr-2015/by-asking-for-sunni-soldiers-saudi-arabia-is-trying-to-divide-pakistan-army