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I would not call it a new force but the right word would be a "new capability" is being added to PA. as army engineers are already proficent in mine clearing and bomb disposal/diffusing.
Pak army engineers have been hard at work for the last 6-8 months for this purpose at the army engineers center at risalpur. couple of units are being raised from existing engineers batallions of PA. the new units will be the specialists in counter IED strategy/warefare along with usual army engeineering techniques/capabilities which they are already versed in.
down the line this counter ied strategy will become part of the army engineers carriculum.
 
Counter-IED Unit Created

•On Tuesday, General Rashad Mahmood, the Chief of General Staff (CGS), led an inter-agency meeting to discuss counter-improvised explosive device (CIED) strategy in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The meeting sought to increase awareness and collaboration to defeat IEDs and also announced the formation of a new force in the Pakistan Army, which will specialize in disarming, preventing, and defeating IED’s across the country. According to a report published by Geo, 33,150 IEDs have been detonated in Pakistan during the last 10 years, which have killed over 11,000 Pakistanis and injured another 21,000.[5]
 
Press Release


Rawalpindi - February 01, 2013

An impressive Passing Out Parade of SSBC-3 (Security Soldier Basic Course) was held at the SPD Training Academy near Rawalpindi. Lieutenant General Salim Nawaz, Inspector General Arms, General Headquarters, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

While addressing the batch of passing out soldiers, the Chief Guest said that Pakistan is currently faced with both internal and external security threats, which demands exercise of extraordinary vigilance by all in protecting our national assets. The passing out soldiers have taken an oath to safeguard these Strategic Assets at all cost, and he has no doubt in their capabilities and resolve to perform this sacred duty in the most befitting manner, he added.
The Chief Guest congratulated the passing out batch on the successful completion of the rigorous training with diligence and commitment. He also praised the instructional staff for imparting quality training.

Earlier on arrival at the Training Academy, the Chief Guest was received by Major General. Muhammad Tahir, Director General Security, SPD, Commandant SPD Training Academy, and other senior officials of Security Division.
 
Commanders meeting today

Islamabad - The monthly Corps Commanders Conference would be held on Thursday (today) at the General Headquarters (GHQ), a military statement said Wednesday. The routinely professional matters would be discussed in the meeting, added the Inter-Services Public Relations note.

Commanders meeting today | The Nation
 
Pakistan and Romania sign defence trade co-operation agreement:

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok

Last posted:
2013-02-15


Pakistan and Romania signed a co-operation agreement in Islamabad on 14 February to enhance defence trade between the two countries, the Pakistan government said in a statement.

The agreement covers military training, the export and import of defence equipment, industrial collaboration and military exchange visits, building on previous defence accords signed by the countries in 2001 and 2011.

No details of the newly signed agreement were disclosed by the government, although it is probably related to previous efforts by Pakistan and Romania to engender collaboration in the production of grenades and ammunition for tanks and artillery systems. Previous trade between the two countries has also included the Pakistan Army's purchase in the 1980s of Romanian-built SA-330 Puma medium transport helicopters.

The accord is viewed by Islamabad as part of wider efforts to increase collaboration and trade with Romania across strategic sectors. This effort supported the establishment in 2012 of a joint trade commission and will facilitate the start of direct flights between the two countries from April 2013.
 
MoU signed to train AMC personnel


February 17, 2013 RECORDER REPORT

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) and the Pakistan Army's Medical Corps (AMC), under which the Rescue 1122 will impart necessary training to the personnel of Pakistan Army. The MoU signing ceremony was held here at Emergency Services Academy on Saturday where 16 personnel of Medical Corps of Pakistan Army completed their four-month long Rescue Training.

Brigadier (r) Dr Arshad Zia, Administrator Emergency Services Academy, Brigadier Zahid Hamid, Commandant Army Medical Corps School and Center, Abbotabad, Director General Rescue 1122 Dr Rizwan Naseer and Major General Waqar Ahmed Khan, Deputy Surgeon General/ DGMS (IS), Army Medical Corps, GHQ, Rawalpindi signed the MoU.

Under the MoU, Rescue 1122 will provide technical assistance in designing of the project for establishment of Emergency Ambulance Service in the areas of Cantonment and Defence Housing Authorities. The Service will also facilitate AMC Training Centre in Abbottabad in the establishment of emergency medical training wing and curriculum development for the training of emergency rescue paramedics besides providing technical assistance from all aspects in designing and procurement of emergency equipment and vehicles. Furthermore, a strong communication link shall be established between Rescue 1122 Control Room and AMC Control Room for transferring information received from civil telephone lines and mobile networks regarding occurrence of an emergency in the areas of Cantonment or DHA. Rescue 1122 will provide emergency cover to armed forces' personnel in areas under the control of civil administration besides extending its co-operation in specialised urban search, fire fighting, hazmat and water rescue services whenever required in the military controlled areas. Similarly, the Pakistan Army Medical Corps will facilitate and provide free emergency medical/surgical treatment to the personnel of Rescue 1122 in Combined Military Hospitals (CHMs).

Under the MoU, the Pakistan Army Corps will also provide the facilities of medical treatment to Rescue 1122 personnel and their families in military hospitals on payment as CNE cases as per existing rules and regulations. Therefore, after the establishment of AMC Emergency Ambulance Service, both parties will be able to extend full co-operation during emergencies, natural calamities, disasters and war times by using mutual resources to ensure provision of basic right to timely emergency care to all citizens without discrimination whether residing in any area either in the administrative control of armed forces or civil administration.

Business Recorder, 2013
 
No PR22/2013-ISPR Dated: February 19, 2013
Rawalpindi - February 19, 2013:

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Tilla Ranges, today, in connection with Field Firing and Battle Inoculation exercises.

The exercises are aimed at simulating battlefield conditions to train the soldiers in a realistic environment. PAF aircraft and major weapon systems including artillery, provided live fire support to training maneuvers conducted by mobile troops. COAS appreciated the professional skills and motivation of troops involved in the exercises.

Earlier, on arrival, Chief of Army Staff was received by Lieutenant General Maqsood Ahmad, Commander Lahore Corps.

Welcome to ISPR
 

In our service to defend and protect this great nation....together we stand.



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Not really Pak army but I thought this is the best place to share it.

ePaper.....go to the Pakistan page.

Look at the image of the sniper. He is a TTP sniper...with a makeshift ghillie suit made of natural straw.

Anybody can identify the rifle?
 
Thursday, March 07, 2013

Mattis emphasises sustained military cooperation with Pakistan


WASHINGTON: Pakistan remains an important regional partner and continued American support for the country is necessary to maintain military-to-military relationship on solid footing, Commander of the US Central Command General James N Mattis underscored at a congressional hearing. Mattis was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee that reviewed the US Administration’s Defence Authorisation Request for fiscal year 2014.

He told the panel, chaired by Senator Car Levin, that the US-Pakistan relationship in 2012 began at a low point but has improved steadily since July 2012, when Pakistan reopened its supply routes into landlocked Afghanistan.

“Pakistan maintained the closure of the US/ISAF Ground Lines of Communication (GLoC) to Afghanistan in response to the tragic November 2011 incident at Salala. The relationship has steadily improved since the GLoC reopened in July 2012 when we resumed security cooperation with Pakistan Army and concluded an agreement that permits two-way flow on the GLoC,” Mattis observed in the opening statement.

The general, whose area of command includes the Middle East, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan also referred to the conclusion of a tripartite US-Pakistan-Afghanistan agreement to ‘facilitate better coordination and complementary operations on both sides of the border that disrupt the enemies’ freedom of movement and help prevent another fratricide incident.

“The United States has a vested interest in Pakistan’s sustainability as a nation and despite challenges in the US-Pakistan relationship, they are an important regional partner that has sacrificed greatly in the war on terror. They must play a constructive role if Afghanistan is to achieve long-term stability,” he noted.

He said the security environment in Pakistan is impacted by terrorist attacks and ethno-sectarianism, radicalisation, overstretched military, strained relationships with neighbours, and dealing with frequent natural disasters.

Mattis acknowledged that Pakistan Army has gradually started taking control of the tribal areas in one of the most difficult terrains, along the Afghan border.

“As they go through this fight in an area of their country where they have never had a lot of control, they’re going to have to exercise a degree of control they have not exercised, been able to exercise, always in the past,” he said in reference to the country’s fight against Taliban militants.

He said, “It is the most difficult terrain I’ve ever operated in along that border region. So this is not easy. The enemy is well-dug in. They’re hard to get at. Pakistan military is moving against them. And we’ll just have to try and keep the collaboration along the border continuing on the trajectory it’s on now if we’re going to (have) success.”

Updating the panel on developments in US-Pakistan military-to-military relations, Mattis said in December, the two countries held the first high-level bilateral Defence Consultative Group in more than 18 months.

“We resumed strategic-level talks and committed to implement a framework for defence cooperation that promotes peace and stability within the region, based on areas of converging interests and principles of mutual respect and transparency. Subsequently, we have held operational level talks, including through the recent Defence Resourcing Conference and Military Consultative Committee, which focused on synchronisation of our efforts to build Pakistan’s capabilities to achieve our common objectives.”

Mattis emphasised to the panel that continued support for foreign military financing, international military education and training, and the Coalition Support Fund will ‘provide the necessary tools to keep our military-to-military relationship on a solid footing’. app
 
COAS went to Karachi, then CC conference, then met with Zardari and allegedly told him all about the law and order situation and advocated a op of some sort to tackle these elements.

What do you folks think? Is he really sincere in wanting to have a operation or did his Corp Commanders pressurize him (unlikely since the Corp Commanders are his personal friends) or did the government tell him to do something so as to get some popularity ahead of elections?
 
Is Pakistan's military out of politics for good?


By Shamila N. Chaudhary Thursday, March 7, 2013.


Last week, three senior members of the Pakistani security establishment - including Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, the country's most powerful military official - stated that the military will not interfere in the country's upcoming national elections. (Observers take note - when the Pakistani military plans to take over, it will let you know.)

Indeed, of the numerous challenges over the last five years to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government's authority, the more overt ones came from Supreme Court efforts to remove President Asif Ali Zardari on corruption charges; flaky coalition partners like the Muttahida Quami Movement, whose frequent departures from the government threatened the coalition's viability; and the pro-regime change march led by Canada-based preacher Tahir ul-Qadri in January.

Still, observers could not help but ponder the possible military connections to each challenge - a state of mind that is second nature in a place like Pakistan, which has spent nearly three decades under military rule since its independence in 1947. The obsessive speculation also suggests a deep-seated expectation in Pakistani culture for the military to come to the country's rescue from a corrupt, inefficient government, even at the expense of democracy.

Those days seem to be over for now. With less than two weeks before its term expires, the PPP is still in charge, with no signs of an imminent hard or soft coup. Nor is there a clear path for significant military poll rigging, especially with a newly independent and neutral Election Commission, thanks to the 20th amendment passed in 2012. We can be sure, however, that the military, like other stakeholders and constituents, is watching the elections process closely, assessing ways it can exert its influence and preserve its interests in the next government. Keeping civilian involvement limited in key national security issues, such as India, Afghanistan, nuclear weapons development, and even relations with the United States will be a priority for the military.

The world, too, will be watching Pakistan with interest on March 16, when the PPP-led government's term expires. It will have been the first civilian government to complete a full term in the country's history. Any challenge to this history in the making will see diminishing returns. Even though the military remains the most popular institution in Pakistan, there is zero public support for overthrowing the civilian government or intervention in elections. No doubt the generals in Rawalpindi understand all of this.

But more than international scrutiny, internal leadership problems and ideological divides in the security establishment have inadvertently strengthened civilian rule. The military's cooperation with the United States in Afghanistan has come under fire from its lower ranks, a reality with violent consequences. Frequent attacks on military installations, like last year's incident at Kamra air base, can only happen with internal assistance, and imply some level sympathy within the military for Al Qaeda, the Taliban and affiliated groups. More specific discontent lies among the most senior officials, the Corps Commanders, some of whom reportedly missed their chance at promotion when the government extended Kayani's term by three years. Whispers of Kayani's family receiving lucrative government contracts have also attempted tarnish the general's standing with the public and within his institution.

The military has rightfully chosen to focus on its own problems rather than take on those of the civilians. Staying uninvolved while protecting its interests will not come easy, though. The combination of internal leadership and ideological challenges, lack of public support for elections interference, and intense scrutiny by the international community will simply force the military to pursue more indirect means to influence the elections process.

Ultimately, the Pakistani military does not need to lead a coup to interfere in elections. Its checkered past of political engineering speaks for itself. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had illegally financed politicians running against the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the 1990 national elections. In 2002, when General Pervez Musharraf held a referendum to legitimize his coup against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and extend military rule, domestic and international observers called it "blatantly" rigged.

Despite 2008 reports that the ISI shut down its political wing, known for "spying on politicians" and "making or breaking of political parties," rumors persist of military support for the purported indefinite extension of the impending caretaker government, as well as for the formation of the Defense of Pakistan Council (DPC), a coalition of conservative and extremist Islamist organizations aiming to be politically viable, possibly in this year's elections.

General Kayani said last week that it was his dream for Pakistan to have free and fair elections. Relatively speaking, it is possible that the elections could be rigged less than previous polls and with less military involvement. But the security establishment's enduring interest in a pliable and cooperative new government that does not interfere in its dealings will guarantee continued military involvement in politics - not the other way around.

Pakistan's military establishment will not always be this hesitant to get directly involved in politics. Over time, and especially as the U.S. war in Afghanistan winds down, the military could become less consumed by internal challenges, regaining political space to engage more directly. Additionally, public and institutional appetites for military intervention usually rise, peak, and fall over a period of 8-11 years; the governments of military rulers Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf both lasted this long. If there is indeed a "generational" quality to military rule in Pakistan, then another five years of a poorly performing civilian government could create opportunities for an unpopular military to reenter Pakistani politics.

Shamila N. Chaudhary is a South Asia analyst at the Eurasia Group and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. She served as director for Pakistan and Afghanistan at the White House National Security Council from 2010-2011.

nuclearpak - pl wait another 5 years for the coup!!!

Ex-Army general is Pakistan new envoy in SL.

Wednesday, 06 March 2013.

Qasim Qureshi, a retired Pakistani Major General, who has served in Kashmir, arrived in Colombo on Wednesday to take charge as Islamabad’s new High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Qureshi had joined Pakistan Army in 1972, and had retired from active service in October 2009.
 
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The military has rightfully chosen to focus on its own problems rather than take on those of the civilians. Staying uninvolved while protecting its interests will not come easy, though. The combination of internal leadership and ideological challenges, lack of public support for elections interference, and intense scrutiny by the international community will simply force the military to pursue more indirect means to influence the elections process.

Ultimately, the Pakistani military does not need to lead a coup to interfere in elections. Its checkered past of political engineering speaks for itself. .................

nuclearpak - pl wait another 5 years for the coup!!!

.................

Perhaps those sentences missed out on your kind attention Sir.
 
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