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The Taftan Rifles is a paramilitary regiment forming part of the Frontier Corps Balochistan (South) of Pakistan. It is named after the border town of Taftan, Balochistan. The regiment is tasked with defending part of the border with Afghanistan and Iran, and assisting with law enforcement in the districts adjacent to the border. This includes countering drug smuggling operations from the Golden Crescent, with several significant seizures such as in May 2019,[1] October 2019,[2] and May 2021.[3]
| Taftan Rifles | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Branch | Civil Armed Forces |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Role | Light infantry |
| Size | 7 Wings |
| Part of | Frontier Corps Balochistan (South) |
| Regimental centre | Nok Kundi |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Abdul Majeed |
The regiment had a 2020/21 budget of Rs. 1.88 billion[4] and is currently composed of a headquarters wing and seven battalion-sized manoeuvre wings. The Rifles have undergone an expansion in recent years with more than 1,700 recruits being successfully trained over a two-year period covering 2021[5] and 2022.[6]
Units
editReferences
edit- ^ "FC Balochistan recovers huge quality of narcotics in Mashkail". Radio Pakistan. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "Taftan Rifles seizes drugs". The Express Tribune. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "FC torches narcotics in Nok Kundi". The Express Tribune. 29 May 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "Federal Budget 2020–2021: Details of demands for grants and appropriations" (PDF). National Assembly of Pakistan. p. 2553. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Baloch, Haseeb (27 June 2021). "834 FC Balochistan recruits complete training". Daily Balochistan Express. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "Passing out parade of 885 FC recruits". Dawn. 11 September 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 30 December 2020. p. 180. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III" (PDF). Quetta: Government of Pakistan. 21 September 2019. p. 114. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2022.