The Pakistan Army (Urdu: , English IPA:''Pɑkʰ fɒ~ɔd͡ʒ''; reporting name: PA) is the uniform service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan Army is a volunteer professional fighting force. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) it has an active force of 700,000 personnel in 2010. The Pakistani constitution contains a provision for conscription, but it has never been imposed.

Since independence, the Army has been involved in four wars with neighboring India and several border skirmishes with Afghanistan. It maintained division and brigade strength presences in some of the Arab countries during the past Arab-Israeli Wars, and aided the Coalition in the first Gulf War. Other major operations undertaken by the Army include Operation Black Thunderstorm and Operation Rah-e-Nijat. Apart from conflicts, the Army has been an active participant in UN missions and played a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers from Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 in Operation Gothic Serpent.

The President of Pakistan is the Commander-in-Chief and supreme commander of the Army.

Mission

Pakistan Army serves as the land-based branch of the Pakistan Military. Chapter 2 of PART XII of Pakistani Constitution defines the purpose of the Army as: The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so.

History

1947–1958

The Pakistan Army was created on 30 June 1947 with the division of the British Indian Army. The soon to be created Dominion of Pakistan received six armoured, eight artillery and eight infantry regiments compared to the 12 armoured, forty artillery and twenty one infantry regiments that went to India. Fearing that India would take over the state of Kashmir, irregulars, scouts and tribal groups entered Kashmir to oppose the Maharaja of Kashmir and Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs in 1947, even though the Maharaja chose to join the Union of India. This led to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Regular army units joined the invasion later on but were stopped after the refusal of the army chief of staff, British officer General Sir Frank Messervy, to obey Pakistani leader Jinnah's orders to move the army into Kashmir. A ceasefire followed on UN intervention with Pakistan occupying the northwestern part of Kashmir and India occupying the rest. Later, during the 1950s, the Pakistan Army received large amounts of economic and military aid from the United States and Great Britain after signing two mutual defence treaties, the Baghdad Pact, which led to the formation of the Central Treaty Organization, and the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954. This aid greatly expanded the Army from its modest beginnings.

The sole division headquarters that went to Pakistan was the 7th. 8th and 9th Divisions were raised in 1947; 10, 12th and 14 Divisions were raised in 1948. 15 Div was raised in 1950. At some point before 1954, 6 Division was raised and 9 Division disbanded. 6 Division was disbanded at some point after 1954 as US assistance was available only for one armoured and six infantry divisions.

1958–1969

Pakistan Army took over from poiliticians for the first time when General Ayub Khan came to power through a bloodless coup in 1958. He formed Convention Muslim League which includes Pakistan's first elected Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto. Tensions with India continued in the 1960s and a brief border skirmish was fought near the Rann of Kutch area during April 1965. The Pakistan Army initiated Operation Gibraltar, an attempt to remove Indian forces from the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir. The Indian Army counter-attacked by trying to invade undisputed Pakistani territory and the PA's goals changed from gaining control of Indian-administered Kashmir to defending Pakistani territory from invading Indian forces. Eventually a ceasefire agreement was reached. The war ended in the Tashkent Declaration and is widely regarded by neutral sources to have been a stalemate. According to the Library of Congress Country Studies conducted by the Federal Research Division of the United States The war was militarily inconclusive; each side held prisoners and some territory belonging to the other. Losses were relatively heavy—on the Pakistani side, twenty aircraft, 200 tanks, and 3,800 troops.

The Pakistan Army considers itself to have achieved a victory because it managed to force a stalemate against a significantly larger force attacking sovereign Pakistani territory at different points, which the PA did not expect and was not prepared or equipped for. Indian sources disagree and call the end result an Indian victory. Highly effective support from the Pakistan Air Force, which was unexpected, is often considered to have neutralised India's advantage in quantity of forces. The accurate artillery fire provided by the PA artillery units is also stated to have played a significant role.

An uprising against General Ayub Khan during 1968 and 1969 resulted in Ayub Khan relinquishing his office as President and Chief of Army Staff in favour of General Yahya Khan, who assumed power in 1969. 16 Division, 18 Division and 23 Division were raised at some point between 1966 and 1969 and 9 Division was re-raised during this period.

1969–1971

During the rule of General Yahya Khan, the people of East Pakistan protested against various political and economic disparities that had been imposed on them by West Pakistan and massive civil unrest broke out in East Pakistan. During operations against these rebels, called Operation Searchlight, a faction of the Pakistan Army under General Yahya Khan was responsible for the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. Beginning with the start of Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and due to the Bangladesh Liberation War, there were numerous human rights abuses in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) perpetrated by the Pakistan Army, with support from local political and religious militias, especially against Hindus. ''Time'' reported a high ranking U.S. official as saying "It is the most incredible, calculated thing since the days of the Nazis in Poland."

The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on 26 March 1971, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. The prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by Pakistani planners. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid May.

In 1997 R. J. Rummel published a book, available on the web, called "Statistics of Democide: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900", In Chapter 8 called "Statistics Of Pakistan's Democide Estimates, Calculations, And Sources" he looks at the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Rummel wrote:

:In East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) [the President of Pakistan, General Agha Mohammed Yahya Khan, and his top generals] also planned to murder its Bengali intellectual, cultural, and political elite. They also planned to indiscriminately murder hundreds of thousands of its Hindus and drive the rest into India. And they planned to destroy its economic base to insure that it would be subordinate to West Pakistan for at least a generation to come. This plan may be perceived as genocide.

According to Maj. (Retd.) Agha Humayun Amin, Pakistan Army high command commanders had not seriously considered an Indian invasion of East Pakistan until December 1971 because it was presumed that the Indian military would not risk Chinese or U.S. intervention. Maj Mazhar states that the PA's senior command failed to realise that the Chinese would be unable to intervene during the winter months of November to December 1971 period due to snowbound Himalayan passes and the U.S. had not made any real effort to persuade India against attacking East Pakistan.

1971–1977

A Pakistan International Airlines flight was sent to fetch Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from New York, who at that time was presenting Pakistan's case before the United Nations Security Council on the East Pakistan Crises. Bhutto returned home on 18 December 1971. On 20 December, he was taken to the President House in Rawalpindi where he took over two positions from Yahya Khan, one as President and the other as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Thus he was the first civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator of the Pakistan.

1977–1999

In 1977 a coup was staged by General Zia ul-Haq and the government was overthrown. This led to the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after he was tried and proclaimed guilty of conspiracy of murdering a politician named Kasuri by Zia's handpicked judges. Zia ul-Haq reneged on his promise of holding elections within 90 days and ruled as a military dictator until his death in an air crash in 1988. General Mohammad Iqbal Khan served as a joint chief from 1980 to 1984 and was the Chief Martial Law Officer during that time.

In the mid-1970s the Pakistan Army was involved in fighting an uprising in Balochistan. Various Balochi factions, some with the oblique support of the USSR, wanted independence or at least greater provincial rights. The rebellion was put down on the behest of the Bhutto government but the Army suffered heavy casualties. After Bhutto was deposed, the province returned to normalcy under General Rahimuddin.

In the 1980s, Pakistani armed forces co-operated with the United States to provide arms, ammunition and intelligence assistance to Afghan mujahideen who were fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The U.S. supplied modern military equipment to Pakistan.

1999–present

In October 1999, after the Kargil War ended with the unconditional withdrawal of the Pakistani forces from the Indian controlled peaks, the Pakistan Army overthrew a democratically elected government for the fourth time, resulting in additional sanctions being applied against Pakistan, leading to General Pervez Musharraf coming to power in a bloodless coup. However, this time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sacked Musharraf when he was on his way to Pakistan from Colombo. He dismissed the Army Chief and appointed General Ziauddin Butt as Army Chief when Musarraf's plane was in the air. That was not enough, the plane was not allowed to land at the Karachi Airport and barricaeds were erected on the runway. The corps commanders acted swiftly across Pakistan, particularly in Karachi and Islamabad. Brigadiar Muzaffar Usmani took control of Karachi Airport and arrested the Inspector General of Sind Police, Rana Maqbool Ahmed. Musharraf stepped down as President in August 2008. On 30 July 2009, the Pakistan Supreme Court ruled that Musharraf's imposition of Emergency Rule in 2007 was unconstitutional.

After the September 11 attacks in the United States, Pakistan joined the US-led War on Terror and helped the United States armed forces by severing ties with the Taliban and immediately deploying 72,000 troops along Pakistan's western border to capture or kill Taliban and al-Qaida militants fleeing from Afghanistan. On the north western front, Pakistan initially garrisoned its troops in military bases and forts in the tribal areas. In May 2004 clashes erupted between the Pakistani troops and al-Qaeda's and other militants joined by local rebels and pro-Taliban forces. However, the offensive was poorly coordinated and the Pakistan Army suffered heavy casualties, while public support for the attack quickly evaporated. After a two year conflict from 2004 until 2006, the Pakistani military negotiated a ceasefire with the tribesmen from the region in which they pledged to hunt down al-Qaeda members, stop the Talibanization of the region and stop attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, the militants did not hold up their end of the bargain and began to regroup and rebuild their strength from the previous two years of conflict.

The militants took over the Lal Masjid in Islamabad. After a six month standoff fighting erupted again in July 2007 when the Pakistani military decided to use force to end the Lal Masjid threat. Once the operation ended, the newly formed Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella group of all militants based in FATA, vowed revenge and launched a wave of attacks and suicide bombings which erupted all over North-West Pakistan and major Pakistani cities, including Karachi, throughout 2007.

The militants then expanded their base of operations and moved into the neighbouring Swat Valley, where they imposed Sharia law. The Pakistan Army launched an offensive to re-take the Swat Valley in 2007, but was unable to clear it of the militants who had fled into the mountains and waited for them to leave before taking over the valley again. The militants then launched another wave of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. The Pakistani government and military tried another peace deal with the militants in Swat Valley in 2008. This was roundly criticised in the West as abdicating to the militants. After initially pledging to lay down their arms if Sharia Law was implemented, the Pakistani Taliban subsequently used the Swat Valley as a springboard to launch further attacks into neighbouring regions, reaching to within of Islamabad.

Public opinion then turned decisively against the Pakistani Taliban. This opinion was highlighted following the release of a video showing the flogging of a girl by the Pakistani Taliban in Swat Valley. Similar events and terrorist attacks finally forced the Pakistan Army to launch a decisive attack against the Taliban occupying Swat Valley in April 2009, after having received orders from the political leadership. After heavy fighting the Swat Valley was largely pacified by July 2009, although isolated pockets of Taliban remained in the area.

The next phase of Pakistan Army's offensive was the formidable Waziristan region. A US drone attack killed the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, in August. A power struggle engulfed the Pakistani Taliban during September, but by October a new leader had emerged, Hakimullah Mehsud. Under his leadership, the Pakistani Taliban launched another wave of terrorist attacks throughout Pakistan, killing hundreds of people. After a few weeks of air strikes, artillery and mortar attacks, 30,000 troops moved on South Waziristan, in a three pronged attack. The Pakistan Army re-took South Waziristan and is currently thinking of expanding the campaign to North Waziristan.

On April 2012 an avalanche struck the 6th Northern Light Infantry Battalion headquarters in Ghyari sector of Siachen, entrapping 135 soldiers.

UN Peacekeeping Missions

In the wake of the new world power equilibrium a more complex security environment has emerged. It is characterised by growing national power politics and state implosions which have necessitated involvement of the United Nations peace keeping forces for conflict resolution.

The United Nations has been undertaking peace keeping operations since its inception, but the need for employment of peace keeping forces has increased significantly since the Gulf War. In 1992 there were 11,000 Blue Berets deployed around the world, by the end of the year the figure rose to 52,000. Presently it exceeds 80,000 troops.

UN Operation in Congo (ONUC) 1960–1964

UN Security Force in New Guinea, West Irian (UNSF) 1962–1963

UN Yemen Observer Mission Yemen (UNYOM) 1963–1964

UN Transition Assistance Group in Namibia (UNTAG) 1989–1990

UN Iraq–Kuwait Observer Mission (UNIKOM) 1991–2003

UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) 1993–1996

UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) 1992–1993

UN Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM) 1992–1995

UN Protection Forces in Bosnia (UNPROFOR) 1992–1995

UN Observer Mission for Rawanda (UNAMIR) 1993–1996

UN Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM III) 1995–1997

UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) 1996–1997

UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) 1996–2002

UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) 2001–2005

UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) 1999-to-date

The table below shows the current deployment of Pakistani Forces in UN Peacekeeping missions.

Start of operation	Name of Operation	Location	Conflict	Contribution
1999	United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)		Democratic Republic of Congo	Second Congo War	3,556 Troops.
2003	United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)		Liberia	Second Liberian Civil War	2,741 Troops.
2004			Burundi	Burundi Civil War	1,185 Troops.
2004	United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI)		Côte d'Ivoire	Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire	1,145 Troops.
2005	United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)		Sudan	Second Sudanese Civil War	1,542 Troops.
	Staff/Observers				191 Observers.

The total amount of troops serving currently in peacekeeping missions is 10,173 (as of March, 2007).

Organization

Command Structure

The President of Pakistan is the civilian supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces by statute, while the Prime Minister of Pakistan served as the Chief Executive of Pakistan Armed Forces, both people-elected civilians, Prime Minister and President, maintains the civilian control of the military. The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), a four-star general, is the highest general officer (unless the four-star general is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee), a field and operational commander as well as a highest army four-star general officer, directs the non-combat and combatant operations from army combatant headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. The Principal Staff Officers (PSO) assisting him in his duties at the Lieutenant-General level include a Chief of General Staff (CGS), under whom the Military Operations and Intelligence Directorates function; the Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS); the Adjutant General (AG); the Quarter-Master General (QMG); the Inspector General of Training and Evaluation (IGT and E); the Military Secretary (MS); and the Engineer-in-Chief, a top army topographer. A major reorganisation in GHQ was done in September 2008 under General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, when two new PSO positions were introduced: the Inspector General Arms and the Inspector General Communications and IT, thus raising the number of PSO's to eight.

The headquarters function also includes the Judge Advocate General (JAG), and the Comptroller of Civilian Personnel, the Engineer-in-Chief of the Corps of Engineers who is also head of Military Engineering Service (MES), all of them also report to the Chief of the Army Staff. Although most of the officer corps were generally Muslim by the 1970s, there were still serving Christian officers the highest rank being attained by Major General Julian Peter who served as the General Officer Commanding of a Division and as general staff officer at Army Headquarters up-till 2006.

Commissioned officers rank

The rank structure is patterned on the British Army model. It consists of commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and the junior commissioned officers.

colspan="14" style="color:black; background:#aabccc;"	Commissioned Officers Ranks of the Pakistan Army

O-10 Gen OF-10Four-star rank

!Pay grade

|

O-9

O-8

O-7

O-6

O-5

O-4

O-3

O-2

O-1

Insignia

Title

General

Lieutenant-General

Major-General

Brigadier

Colonel

Lieutenant-Colonel

Major

Captain (OF-2)>Captain

Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Abbreviation

|

LGen

MGen

Brig

Col

LCol

Maj

Capt

Lt

SLt

NATO Code

|

OF-9

OF-8

OF-7

OF-6

OF-5

OF-4

OF-3

OF-2

OF-1

Rank Hierarchy

4-star General||

Three-star rank>3-star General

Two-star rank>2-star General

One-star rank>1-star Officer

Non-commissioned Officers wear respective regimental color chevrons on the right sleeve. Centre point of the uppermost chevron must remain 10 cm from the point of the shoulder. Company / battalion appointments wear the appointments badges on the right wrist.

colspan="14" style="color:black; background:#aabccc;"	Structure of Non-Commissioned Officers Ranks of Pakistan Army

OR-9 BHM OR-9

!Pay grade

|

OR-8

OR-7

OR-6

OR-5

OR-4

OR-3

OR-2

OR-1

Insignia

No insignia

No insignia

Title

Battalion Havildar Major>Battalion Havildar Major

Battalion Quartermaster Havildar

Company Havildar Major>Company Havildar Major

Company Quartermaster Havildar

Havildar

Naik

Lance Naik

Sepoy

No Equivalent

Abbreviation

|

BQMH

CHM

CQMH

HLD

NK

LN

S

NE

NATO Code

|

OR-8

OR-7

OR-6

OR-5

OR-4

OR-3

OR-2

OR-1

colspan="14" style="color:black; background:#aabccc;"	Junior Commissioned Officer Ranks

Insignia
	Title		Naib Subedar (infantry and other arms)/Naib Risaldar (cavalry and armour)		Subedar (infantry and other arms)/Risaldar (cavalry and armour)

Structure of Army units

The Pakistan Army is divided into two main branches, which are Arms and Services.

Arms

* Armoured Corps

* Infantry

* Artillery

* Air Defence

* Engineers

* Signals

* Aviation

* Airborne

Chemical corps

Services

* Army Services Corps(ASC)

* Corps of Military Police

* Military Intelligence Corps

* Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME)

* Army Ordnance Corps

* Medical Science Corps

* Army Dental Corps

* Remount Veterinary and Farms Corps

* Army Education Corps

* Army Clerical Corps

*JAG Branch

Operational Commands

The army operates three commands during peace time. Each command is headed by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Lieutenant General. Each command is directly affiliated to the Army HQ in Rawalpindi.

According to Globalsecurity.org, drawing on Pakistani media sources, three commands, supervising a number of corps each, have been formed: Northern Command, Central Command, and Southern Command.

Corps

A corps is an army field formation responsible for a zone within a command theatre. There are three types of corps in the Pakistani Army: Strike, Holding and Mixed. A command generally consists of two or more corps. A corps has Army divisions under its command. The Corps HQ is the highest field formation in the army.

There are 13 Corps in Pakistan Army. 9 of these Corps are composed of Infantry, Mechanised, Armoured, Artillery and Anti-Tank divisions and brigades. Army Air Defence Command is another Corps of Pakistan Army which plays the role of Anti-Aircraft Artillery whereas Army Aviation Corps provides air support to Pakistan Army. Army Strategic Forces Command is responsible for training, deployment and activation of Pakistan's nuclear missiles. The last Corps is called the Northern Area Command which is Headquartered at Gilgit and is reported to have 5 Infantry Brigades.

Forces in action or poised for action include XI Corps, which has been heavily engaged in fighting the Taliban and other extremists along Pakistan's north-western border, and 323rd Infantry Brigade, part of Forces Command Northern Areas, on the Siachen Glacier.

The peace time commands are given below in their correct order of raising, and location (city).

* I Corps – headquartered at Mangla Cantonment

**6th Armoured Division headquartered at Gujranwala

**17th Infantry Division headquartered at Kharian

**37th Infantry Division headquartered at Kharian

**11th Independent Armoured Brigade

**Independent Air Defense Brigade

**Independent Artillery Brigade

**Independent Infantry Brigade

* II Corps – headquartered at Multan

**1st Armoured Division headquartered at Multan

**14th Infantry Division headquartered at Okara

**40th Infantry Division headquartered at Okara

**Independent Armoured Brigade

**Independent Air Defense Brigade

**Independent Artillery Brigade

**Independent Infantry Brigade

* IV Corps – headquartered at Lahore

**2nd Artillery Division headquartered at Gujranwala

**10th Infantry Division headquartered at Lahore

**11th Infantry Division headquartered at Lahore

**3rd Independent Armoured Brigade

**212th Infantry Brigade

**Independent Artillery Brigade

* XXX Corps – headquartered at Gujranwala

**8th Infantry Division headquartered at Sialkot

**15th Infantry Division headquartered at Sialkot

**2nd Independent Armoured Brigade

**Independent Anti-Tank Brigade

**Independent Artillery Brigade

* XXXI Corps – headquartered at Bahawalpur

*26th Mechanised Division headquartered at Bahawalpur

**35th Infantry Division headquartered at Bahawalpur

**13th Independent Armoured Brigade

**101st Independent Infantry Brigade

* V Corps – headquartered at Karachi

**16th Infantry Division headquartered at Pano Aqil

**18th Infantry Division headquartered at Hyderabad

*25th Mechanised Division headquartered at Malir

**31st Mechanised Brigade headquartered at Malir

**2nd Armoured Brigade headquartered at Malir

**Independent Armoured Brigade

**Independent Artillery Brigade

* X Corps – headquartered at Rawalpindi

**12th Infantry Division headquartered at Murree

**19th Infantry Division headquartered at Mangla

**23rd Infantry Division headquartered at Jhelum

**Force Command Northern Areas – headquartered at Gilgit

**111th Infantry Brigade headquartered at Rawalpindi

**8th Armoured Brigade headquartered at Kharian

**Independent Artillery Brigade

* XI Corps – headquartered at Peshawar

**7th Infantry Division headquartered at Peshawar

**9th Infantry Division headquartered at Kohat

**Independent Armoured Brigade headquartered at Nowshera

* XII Corps – headquartered at Quetta

**33rd Infantry Division headquartered at Quetta

**41st Infantry Division headquartered at Quetta

**Independent Infantry Brigade headquartered at Turbat

**Independent Armoured Brigade headquartered at Khuzdar

**21 Artillery Division headquarters at Pano Aqil

* Army Air Defence Command – headquartered at Rawalpindi, Punjab

**3rd Air Defence Division headquartered at Sargodha

**4th Air Defence Division headquartered at Malir

* Army Strategic Forces Command – headquartered at Rawalpindi, Punjab

**21st Division headquartered at Pano Aqil

**22nd Division headquartered at Sargodha

Other Field Formations

:*Division: An Army Division is an intermediate between a Corps and a Brigade. It is the largest striking force in the army. Each Division is headed by [General Officer Commanding] (GOC) in the rank of Major General. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Pakistani Army has 29 Divisions including 20 Infantry Divisions, 2 Armoured Divisions, 2 Mechanized Divisions, 2 Air Defence Divisions, 2 Strategic Divisions and 1 Artillery Division. Each Division composes of several Brigades. :*Brigade: A Brigade generally consists of around 3,000 combat troops with supporting elements. An Infantry Brigade usually has 3 Infantry Battalions along with various Support Arms & Services. It is headed by a Brigadier, equivalent to a Brigadier General in some armies. In addition to the Brigades in various Army Divisions, the Pakistani Army also has 7 Independent Armoured Brigades, 5 Independent Artillery Brigades, 3 Independent Infantry Brigades, 3 Anti-Tank Brigades. These Independent Brigades operate directly under the Corps Commander (GOC Corps). :*Regiment: A regiment is commanded by a Colonel. :*Battalion: A Battalion is commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel and is the Infantry's main fighting unit. It consists of more than 900 combat personnel. :*Company: Headed by the Major/Captain, a Company comprises about 120–150 soldiers. :*Platoon: An intermediate between a Company and Section, a Platoon is headed by a Lieutenant or depending on the availability of Commissioned Officers, a Junior Commissioned Officer, with the rank of Subedar or Naib-Subedar. It has a total strength of about 30–36 troops. :*Section: Smallest military outfit with a strength of about 9–13 personnel. Commanded by a Non-commissioned officer of the rank of Havildar Major or Sergeant Major.

Regiments

There are several battalions or units associated together in an infantry regiment. The infantry regiment in the Pakistani Army is an administrative military organisation and not a field formation. All the battalions of a regiment do not fight together as one formation, but are dispersed over various formations, viz. brigades, divisions and corps. An infantry battalion serves for a period of time under a formation and then moves to another, usually in another sector or terrain when its tenure is over. Occasionally, battalions of the same regiment may serve together for a tenure.

Most of the infantry regiments of the Pakistani Army originate from the old British Indian Army and recruit troops from a region or of specific ethnicities.

Regiments of the Pakistani Army include:

{| |- valign=top |

Infantry:

* Punjab Regiment

* Baloch Regiment

* Frontier Force Regiment (FF)

* Azad Kashmir Regiment (AK)

* Sind Regiment

* Northern Light Infantry (NLI)

|

Armoured Corps:

Artillery Corps

Corps of Engineers

Aviation Corps

Corps of Signals

Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Medical Corps

Corps of Military Police

|}

Special forces

The Special Services Group (SSG) is an independent commando regiment/corps of the Pakistan Army. It is an elite special operations force similar to the United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and the British Army's SAS.

Official numbers are put at 2,100 men, in 3 battalions; however the actual strength is classified. It is estimated to have been increased to 4 Battalions, with the eventual formation of 2 Brigades of Special Forces (6 Battalions).

Combat doctrine

The Pakistan Army has developed a doctrine called the Riposte which is a limited "offensive-defence" doctrine. It has refined it consistently starting in 1989 during the "Exercise Zarb-e-Momin". This doctrine is fully focused towards Pakistan's archenemy, India.

The doctrine is derived from several factors: # The vulnerability of Pakistan is that so many of its major population centres and politically and military sensitive targets lie very close to the border with India. As such Pakistan can ill-afford to lose large territories to an Indian attack. # ‘Strategic depth’ in the form of a friendly Afghanistan is deemed vital by military planners. # India has substantially enhanced its offensive capabilities, with the Cold Start Doctrine. Any counter attack would be very tricky against the large number of Indian troops involved. The response of the Pakistani army includes the development of the Nasr missile. # Holding formations in both India and Pakistan can man their forward defensive positions and fortifications in less than 24 hours. However, Corps level reserves with large stockpiles of munitions will take between 24 to 72 hours for mobilisation after being given their orders. In this regard, both armies will be evenly matched in the first 24 hours since the Pakistani units have to travel a shorter distance to their forward positions.

This doctrine entails Pakistan in the event of hostilities with India will not wait for the enemy's offensive, but rather launch an offensive of its own. The offensive will be a limited advance along narrow fronts with the aim of occupying territory near the border to a depth of 40–50 km. Since Indian forces will not reach their maximum strength near the border for another 48–72 hours, Pakistan might have parity or numerical superiority against the Indians.

The Pakistani Army hopes to accomplish three things under this strategy: # The enemy is kept off-balance as it will be tied up containing the Pakistani offensive into its territory rather than launching an offensive into Pakistani territory. # The Pakistani Army hopes to contain the fighting on the Indian side of the border so that any collateral or other damage will be suffered by India. # Indian territory of strategic importance once seized, will give the Pakistani Army a bargaining chip to be used in the aftermath of a ceasefire brought about by international pressure after 3–4 weeks of fighting. # The use of tactical battlefield nuclear missile such as Nasr missile that provide maximal damage against massed troops for extremely limited collateral casualties.

Kashmir, Line of Control and the Northern Punjab areas are heavily fortified and ill-suited for large mechanised offensives. The most likely area where Pakistan might launch its offensive is the semi-desert and desert sectors in southern Punjab and Sindh provinces.

To supplement this doctrine, the Army in the 1990s created a strong centralised corps of reserves for its formations. The force is known as Army Reserve South and is a grouping of several powerful Corps from Pakistan's Order of Battle. These formations have been rapidly equipped with assets needed for mechanised capability. These reserve formations are dual-capable, meaning they can be used for offensive as well as defensive (holding) purposes. Pakistan has also increased its ammunition, fuel and other military stockpiles to last for 45 days in case of a conflict. During the 1965 war for instance, Pakistan only had 13 day reserves which hampered its military operations.

The possibility of a major war of the sort against which earlier doctrines had eveolved came in to question after May 1998 when both sides overtly demonstrated their nuclear capability. The Kargil conflict and the military standoff with India in 2002 led to various stability theories being viewd with scepticism on both sides. India realised the need to drastically reduce the time taken to build up its forces from all over the country towards its western borders and strike early while Pakistani defences on the one hand and diplomatic manoeuvre on the other were still unprepared. To this end, the Cold Start Doctrine and its tactical extension, proactive operations were developed and practiced by the Indian Army and later the Navy and the Airforce variants thereof. Aginst cold start and proactive operations, Pakistan began developing its response at the joint services level with notable changes in how the land forces viewed existantial and future threat. The intellectual powerhouse for this was led by the Chielf of the Army Staff, the commandant of the Armed Forces War College, selected corps commanders and a team of senior brigadiers. The Azm-e-Nau (New Resolve) series of war games were conducted and a new doctine evolved. These exrcises and war-games culminated in to the massive Azm-e-Nau 3 which was conducted in the deserts of Bahawalpur and upper Punjab in April and May 2010. The Army set up a doctrines concepts and development division under a top brigadier to evelove high, mid and low level doctrines for the army. The Pakistan Army Doctrine, Pakistan Defence Doctrine and a series of subordinate publications were developed between 2010 and 2011.

Involvement in Pakistani Society

The Pakistan Army has played an integral part in the government of Pakistan, almost since its inception. In times of natural disaster, such as the great floods of 1992 or the October 2005 devastating earthquake, army engineers, medical and logistics personnel, and the armed forces played a major role in bringing relief and supplies.

The army also engaged in extensive corporate activities. Most of these enterprises, such as stud and dairy farms, were for the army's own use, but others performed functions in local civilian economy such as bakeries, security services and banking. Army factories produced such goods as sugar, fertiliser, and brass castings and sold them to civilian consumers albeit at prices higher than those charged from military personnel.

Several army organisations operate in the commercial sector across the country. For example, the National Logistics Cell was responsible for trucking food and other goods across the country; the Frontier Works Organization built the Karakoram Highway to China; and the Special Communication Organization maintained communications networks in remote parts of Pakistan. The Pakistan Army has been involved in relief activities not only in Pakistan but also in many other countries of the world, such as the relief activities after Bangladesh was recently hit by floods. The Army also despatched relief to Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka after they were hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Both the Pakistan Army and Navy sent ships and helicopters to assist in the tsunami relief operation.

Personnel

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) the Pakistan Army has an active force of 550,000 personnel in 2010.

Women and minorities

Women have served in the Pakistan Army since its foundation. Currently, there is a sizeable number of Women serving in the army. Most women are recruited in the regular Army to perform medical and educational work. There is also a Women's Guard section of Pakistan's National Guard where women are trained in nursing, welfare and clerical work and there are also women recruited in very limited numbers for the Janbaz Force. Only recently has Pakistan began to recruit women for combat positions and the Elite Anti-Terrorist Force In 2007, several female graduates were nominated to be Sky Marshals for Pakistan based airlines. In addition recently eight of the 41 cadets from the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul became the first women guards of honour. Pakistan is the only country in the Islamic world to have female ''Major Generals'' in the Army.

Recruitment is nationwide and the army attempts to maintain an ethnic balance but most enlisted recruits, as in British times, come from a few districts in northern Punjab Province and the adjacent Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan's Officer Corps are also mostly from Punjab,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and of middle-class, rural backgrounds.

Minorities in Pakistan are allowed to sit in all examinations, including the one conducted by Inter Services Selection Board however the proportion of religious minorities in the Pakistan Army is still considerably less.

There have been numerous Christians who have risen to the rank of Brigadier; and in the 1990 the first Christian promoted to the rank of Major General was Julian Peter who commanded the 14th Div in Okara Cantt. In 2009 brigadier Noel Israel, was also promoted to rank of Major General.

Recipients of Nishan-e-Haider

The Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر) (Sign of the Lion) is the highest military award given by Pakistan, ranking above the Hilal-i-Jur'at (Crescent of Courage). Nishan-e-Haider recipients receive an honorary title as a sign of respect: ''Shaheed'' meaning ''martyr'' for deceased recipients.

Similar to the American Medal of Honor or the British Victoria Cross, it has only been awarded 10 times since 1947:

Name	Unit	Conflict	Date	Place of Death
			27 July 1948
	16th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment	1958 Border clash with India	7 August 1958	Lakshmipur District
	17th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment		10 September 1965	Lahore District
	4th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment		1971	East Pakistan
	No. 2 Squadron Minhas		20 August 1971
	6th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment		6 December 1971
	15th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment		8 December 1971	Wagah-Attari
Sawar Muhammad Hussain	20th Lancers, Armoured Corps		10 December 1971	Zafarwal-Shakargarh
	12th Battalion of the Northern Light Infantry	Kargil War	5 July 1999	Kargil, Indian administered Kashmir
	12th Battalion of the Northern Light Infantry	Kargil War	7 July 1999	Kargil, Indian administered Kashmir

Recipients of Foreign awards

Two Pakistani pilots belonging to the army aviation branch of Pakistan army who carried out a daring rescue of a mountaineer are to be given Slovenia's top award for bravery. Slovenian, Tomaz Humar got stranded on the western end of the 8,125m Nanga Parbat mountain where he remained for around a week on top of the world's ninth-highest peak. The helicopter pilots plucked the 38-year-old from an icy ledge 6,000m up the peak known as "killer mountain".

The Slovenian president has presented Lt Col Rashid Ullah Beg and Lt Col Khalid Amir Rana with the Golden Order for Services in the country's capital, Ljubljana, for risking their lives during the rescue mission, a Pakistan army statement said.

Beating hundreds of soldiers from major armies of the world, Pakistan Army has won the coveted Gold Medal at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise held in Wales with participation from armies of India, Australia, Canada, United States and France among others. 750 soldiers across the world descended on the Brecon Beacons in Wales to suffer through one of the toughest exercises ever devised. The Cambrian patrol tested the soldiering skills of the teams as they crossed some of the most arduous terrain one can imagine. According to ISPR, "Rawalpindi Corps team represented Pakistan Army in Exercise Cambrian Patrol – 2010, held from 11–13 October 2010 and by the Grace of Allah, the team showed an excellent performance by winning a Gold Medal in the event, which is a big honour not only for Army but for the country as a whole."

Equipment

The equipment currently in use by the Pakistan Army is divided into the following main sections: small arms, armour, artillery, aircraft and air defence systems.

Arms

style="background:#aabccc;"	Weapon	Comments
Handguns
Glock 17
Glock 26
HK P7
Steyr M	Steyr M9A1	Pakistan Air Force#Special Forces>SSW.
Tokarev pistol	Tokarev
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4">Sub-machine gun	Sub-machine guns (SMG) and carbines:
Heckler & Koch MP5	Pakistan Ordnance Factories>POF
Heckler & Koch MP5K	Pakistan Ordnance Factories>POF.
FN P90
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4"	Battle rifles
Heckler & Koch G3	The PA's service rifle. G3A3, G3P4 variants in service.
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4"	Assault rifles
Type 56	Chinese-manufactured AK-47.<
Steyr AUG
FN F2000
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4">Grenades
M67 grenade
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4"	Sniper rifles
Karabiner 98k	<
HK PSG1
M82 Barrett rifle	M82 Barret
Steyr SSG 69
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4">Machine guns
FN MAG
FN Minimi Para
Rheinmetall MG3	MG3	Manufactured under license by Pakistan Ordnance Factories.<
RPD
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="4">Grenade launchers
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
Mk 19 grenade launcher
RPG-7	Pakistan Ordnance Factories#Tank and anti-tank ammunition>Pakistan Ordnance Factories
RPG-29
Milkor MGL

Armour

style="color:black; background:#aabccc"	Vehicle/System/Aircraft	Firm Number in Service	Status
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="5"
Al Khalid	Al-Khalid	500	In service, production and deliveries ongoing. 300 Al-Khalid ordered initially, later orders for upgraded Al-Khalid I.
T-80UD	320
Type 85-IIAP	275
Al-Zarrar	>
Type 59	1100, 1200
T-54/55	54
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="5"	Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC)
Hamza Infantry Fighting Vehicle	–
Al-Fahd Infantry fighting vehicle	–
APC-Talha	Talha Armoured Personnel Carrier	–
Sa'ad Armoured Personnel Carrier	–
M113 armoured personnel carrier	M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier	1,600
BTR-70/BTR-80 Armoured Personnel Carrier	720
Mohafiz (armoured vehicle)	Mohafiz Light Armoured Personnel Carrier	???
Scorpion Lrv	Otokar Akrep Light Jeep	1,260
Al-Qaswa Logistic Vehicle	Al Qaswa Logistical Vehicle	500
M88 Recovery Vehicle	M88 ARV Armoured Recovery Vehicle	-
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="5">Armoured Bridging Vehicles
M60A1 Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB)	M60A1 AVLB Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge	–	In Service
M48 Patton#Variants	M48 Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge	–

Artillery inventory

155 mm 155 mm 155 mm 155 mm 155 mm 155 mm 130 mm 122 mm 105 mm 105 mm

style="color:black; background:#aabccc;"	Vehicle/System	Calibre	Quantity	Comments
Self-propelled artillery
M110 howitzer	M110	203 mm	860
M109 howitzer	M109 (A2/A3/A4/A5) howitzer	|	500	Tracked chassis.
NORINCO SH1	|	213	6×6 wheeled chassis.
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="5">MRLS-Multiple Launch Rocket System
<	A-100 MRL	A-100	300mm
KRL-21	|		Truck-mounted.
style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="5">Towed artillery
M115 howitzer	M115	203 mm	356
Panter Howitzer	MKEK Panter	|	30	Auxiliary power unit can propel the gun at up to 18 km/h.
M198 howitzer	M198	|	348	95 plus 24 delivered in 1997.
M114 155 mm howitzer	M114	|	244
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)	Type 59I	|	410
122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)	Type 54	|	490
M56 howitzer	M56	|	113
M101 howitzer	M101	|	216

Aircraft inventory

Pakistan Army operates nearly 150 helicopters alongside several aircraft. utility helicopter Utility aircraft Transport aircraft Transport aircraft Transport helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter Utility helicopter

style="color:black; background:#aabccc;"	Aircraft/System	Role	Quantity	Comments
AH-1 Cobra	AH-1F/S Cobra	Attack helicopter	40
IAR 330	|	4
Harbin Y-12	|	2
Cessna Citation II	Cessna Citation Bravo	|	2
Aero Commander 500 family	Aero Commander 840	|	2
Mil Mi-17	|	85
Bell 206 Jet Ranger	|	9, 13
Bell 412	|	95
Bell UH-1 Huey	|	200
Eurocopter AS350	|	10
Eurocopter AS355	|
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma	|	60
Aérospatiale Alouette III	Aerospatiale SA.316 Alouette III	|	10	Being phased out.

Anti-tank missiles

;Anti-tank:

Bakter-Shikan ATGM

BGM-71 TOW

BGM-71 TOW 2 MILAN

Air defence systems

;Man-portable air defence systems:

Anza Mk I, Anza Mk II, Anza Mk III (MANPAD)

SA-7 Grail

General Dynamics FIM-92 Stinger

General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye

Bofors RBS-70 short-range SAM system

Mistral Man-portable air defence systems

;Medium altitude air defence systems:

Spada-2000, Advanced Air Defence System

Bofors RBS 23 medium range, all-weather capable air defence system

;High altitude air defence systems:

HQ-2B SAM

HQ-9

;Anti-aircraft guns:

Oerlikon(GDF-005) 35 mm twin cannon

Oerlikon AHEAD modified cannon

Bofors 40 mm cannon

References

Bibliography

External links

;Official websites

Official website of Pakistan Army ''launched on 6 April 2009''

Official website of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)

Official website of International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS)

;Web resources

PakDef.info – Pakistan Military Consortium

GlobalSecurity.org

defence.pk – Pakistan Defence

PakSoldiers.Com – Pakistan Military & Defence News

Category:Military of Pakistan Category:Pakistan Army Category:1947 establishments in Pakistan Category:Military units and formations established in 1947

bn:পাকিস্তান সেনাবাহিনী id:Angkatan Darat Pakistan it:Pak Fouj ms:Tentera Darat Pakistan pnb:پاک فوج pt:Exército do Paquistão ru:Сухопутные войска Пакистана simple:Pakistan Army th:กองทัพบกปากีสถาน ur:پاک فوج ]

Name	Najam Sheraz
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Najam Sheraz
Born	August 02, 1969 Multan, Pakistan
Origin	Karachi, Pakistan
Instrument	Guitar, Drums
Genre	Pop, Rock
Occupation	SingerMusician
Years active	1994–present
Label	Sadaf, FrankFinn India, Fire Records Pakistan
Associated acts	Brother RhythmWet MetalKarvan
Website	www.najamsheraz.com
Past members	}}

Najam Sheraz (Urdu: نجم شیراز) is a Pakistani pop singer, [song writer,music producer], composer and a peace activist. Najam Sheraz is an international singer/songwriter, composer and peace activist with 10 albums and numerous hits, such as Bollywood chart busters “Bheegay Hont Tere(Murder)’’ and ''Tere Bina(Shaapit)'' “Tera Hi Bas Hona Chahoon(Haunted 3D).”

For the last 15 years he has been touring, performing for huge audiences around the world, and an entire generation has grown up listening to his songs. He is known for his spirited and powerhouse vocals, and for songs that create social awareness.

Sheraz’s first Urdu nasheed(Spiritual acapella), the best seller “Na Tera Khuda Koi Aur Hae,” changed his perspective about life; consequently, he has dedicated his voice to uniting people for peace and brotherhood. He is the official singer and producer of the national anthem of Pakistan, and has represented the country at events like the Beijing Olympics, SAF games and international cricket events.

He has appeared on numerous documentaries and talk shows discussing domestic and international social issues, and was part of an important documentary on Islam by BBC World, ''Battle for Islam,'' as a voice for peace. In the past decade, he has been invited to world peace concerts and conferences, such as 2005-2010 Global Peace and Unity Event in London with Yousaf Islam, Jermaine Jackson and Imran Khan, 2008 World Peace for Life Concert in Los Angeles with Christina Applegate and Michael Beckwith, 2005 Reviving the Spirit of Islam in Toronto along with Sami Yousaf, and 2011 ISNA in Chicago, along with renowned singers of peace. For his services to the community on the platform of he was presented two congressional awards in 2006 and 2007 in the USA. He is also the goodwill ambassador for ANF (Anti Narcotics Force) of Pakistan. His powerful “Hum Bolain Mohabbat Ki Zuban” was used as the ‘’Face of Pakistan’’ on CNN World by the Pakistan government. . Currently he is working on his first English spiritual album in Canada and promoting his world peace song “Only Love,” co-written with hit songwriter Chris Eaton (number 1s for Cliff Richard and Janet Jackson).

“I believe that the Muslim world and the West both have a lot to share and offer, so it’s vital to develop common grounds and evolve together for a better and peaceful future for our children for generations to come.” - Najam Sheraz

History

Najam Sheraz was born in Multan, Pakistan on August 2, 1969. A natural sportsman, he played professional cricket with cricketing legends such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, and Mushtaq Ahmed. He is graduate of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore where he studied and graduate in B. Tech. in civil engineering. He formed his first band with his elder brothers Booby (Dr. Zubair Adnan in Rawalpindi Pakistan) and Joji (Salman Nadeem in Brampton, ON, Canada) called Brother Rhythm in 1987. Both brothers till date seriously consider themselves better, more sophisticated music lovers and musicians than the much famous younger brother.

His second band came together in 1989. Wet Metal was at that time considered the best live band in the circuit. Performing in almost 1,000 shows all over the country, Najam Sheraz established himself as one of the strongest voices on stage. He has given a mega hit '' Bheegay Hont Tere(Menu tere Naal)'' to Bollywood who back then changed the style of music in the Bollywood films in a big way for Mahesh Bhatt's film Murder. Bheegay Hont Tere also put an end to stealing songs from across the border after a long time. Vishesh films signed a contract with Najam Sheraz on his request to make it a legal transaction between the two parties though it was originally used in the movie without his permission.Najam sheraz is also responsible for introducing Atif Aslam to vishesh films to get him his first break ''Wo Lamhae'' Bheegay Hont Tere opened the gate for Pakistani music and singers in the Bollywood films in a major way

He was signed by Frankfinn Music later for his upcoming album to be produced in the UK. He also sang and composed for the new Vikram Bhatt's Movie Shaapit, titled "TERE BINA JIYA NA JAYE" in 2011 set up a production company ''Coconut Island'' and produced/arranged two songs for Vikram Bhatt's Haunted 3D Sau Baras and Tera Hee Bas Hona chahoon''

Solo career

In December 1993 the band members parted ways and Najam Sheraz began working on his solo career. His first solo single, 'In Sae Nain', was released in September 1994. It was an instant hit, selling more than 300,000 copies nationwide. 'Sohna Chata Hoon' his second single, received critical acclaim with its release in March 1995. It was soon followed by the release of his first solo album 'Khazana' in February 1996 and the video release of 'Larki', which brought him to the forefront of the musical mainstream. 'Khazana' sold a million copies, supported by the videos 'Aajana' 'Yeh Baat Kise Maloom Nahin' and 'Pyar Ki Piyas'. This album took Najam on his first foreign tour to Bahrain where he achieved huge success.

The lyrics of the song "Pyar Ki Pyas" were penned by Tahir Gul Hasan for a pop band named Wet Metal that had Najam Sheraz as the lead singer. The music was composed, played (except the lead guitar), recorded and mixed by Tahir at his own studios: Sound On Sound, Karachi.

Wet Metal's entire album's lyrics, music and recording came from Tahir Gul Hasan but the group disbanded before the album was finished. In 1993, "Pyar Ki Piyas" became the band's first single on TV. Najam Sheraz would later use "Pyar Ki Pyas" in his successful studio album: Khazana. For more details read "Pyar Ki Piyas (پیاس کی پیار):

His next project was an experimental album, an eastern classical-rock fusion called 'Rakh Aas' with the band Karavan in November 1997.

His second solo album, 'Roop Nagar', was released in 1999 in Pakistan. Its first video release, 'Pal Do Pal Ki Chahat', was the first 35 mm music video to ever be produced in Pakistan. Najam was instantly signed by Pepsi Cola International in Pakistan and BMG-Cresendo in India. This album took him on his first North American tour to more than 10 cities. He also performed in Kuwait, where he was the first ever live act from Pakistan, and was especially well received.He has worked intensively in Europe and India with frequent visits to North America as well. His song for Anti Narcotics Force in 2006 became the Force's anthem and he has been acclaimed as an Ambassador-at-large by the ANF for his work with youth and deprived classes.

Breakout

Sheraz's first international release in 2000 was 'Pal Do Pal Ki Chahat'. In the same year, 20th Century Fox launched the film Split Wide Open. Sheraz's song 'Mera Jee Nahin Laage' was included on the soundtrack along with Air Supply, Asha Bhosle and Garbage. With this achievement, Najam Sheraz became the second Pakistani artist after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to be included on the soundtrack of an international film.

In February 2000, Sheraz released his first Punjabi album, 'Pyar Karannu Dil Karda', which produced hits like 'Pyar Karannu Dil Karda', 'Rabba', and 'Kajla'.

In February 2002 he released his fifth album, 'Jaisay Chaho Jiyo', which produced hits like 'Jaisay Chaho Jiyo', 'Ahista Ahista' and the huge success 'Aao Wahan Chalen'.

The Cricket World Cup of 2003 saw the success of 'Jeeto Mere Laal', which was also dedicated to the Pakistani Blind Cricket World Cup Champions.

In the Ramadan of 2002, the hamd 'Yeh Mamla Koi Aur Hai' became a major hit. The intensity and spirit of the song became so popular that it precedes every concert performance and audiences of every age and creed join voices in its recitation.

On 14 August 2003 saw the launch of 'Hamari Pehchan' and 'Gillay Shikway Sub Bhula Do'. 'Hamari Pehchan' was directed towards raising nationalistic spirit, whereas 'Gillay Shikway Sub Bhula Do' focused on reuniting towards peace and brotherhood.

'Shahpar', a song about the Pakistan Air Force, was released on 6 September 2003.

The Ramadan of 2003 saw the release of the album 'Yeh Mamla Koi Aur Hai'. Its release was imminent due to the success of the single of the same name in 2002. It included other naats such as 'Rahain Bhatakne Walay', 'In Fizaon Sae Aage', 'Gillay Shikway Sub Bhula Do', 'Shahpar', 'Aae Watan Pyare Watan', Allama Iqbal's 'Lab Pae Aati Hai Dua' and 'Kar Liya Sauda'.

Discography

Early experience:

Brother Rhythm – 1987

Wet Metal – 1989 performed more than 1000 shows around the country Pyar Ki Piyas 1993 first single on TV

Solo Career began in 1994 – to date * In say Nain 1994 no 1

Sona Chahta hoon 1995 no 2 was banned from National Radio-Reason given: Lyrics and vocal performance too wild for the youth

Hawa Ka sipahi 1995 official Airforce song

Yeah Baat 1996 was censored on National TV Reason given: Against Establishment was aired heavily on satellite a few years later

Solo Albums: Album: Khazana – 1996 – Lips Records sold more than one Million copies Singles:

Larki 1996 no 1

Aajana 1996 no 1

Ae Aurat 1997 sound track of a special play for the Airforce ''Shahpar''

Karavan The Rock Band Project:

Rakh Aas 1997 Pop music was banned on TV Reason given: long hair and jeans give a bad impression of the youth

In Fizaon Say Agay 1997 Official Golden jubilee song for the Airforce

Signed up with Pepsi Cola International 1999

Album: Roop Nagar – 1999 – Sonic/BMG Singles:

Mahia 1999 was censored on National TV Reason given : intense visuals

Amar Kahani 1999 World Cup Cricket song with Pepsi Cola was censored Reason given: Performance too wild for National TV

Pyar Karannu Dil Karda – 2000 – Lips Records first album in Punjabi language

Pal do Pal Ki Chahat – 2000 – BMG Cresendo (India)

Mera Ji Naheen Lagae 2000 became the soundtrack of 20th Century Fox's movie "Split Wide Open" along with Air Supply, Garbage, Asha Bhoslay..and a few others

Signed up with the No 1 Tea Company ''Tapal Tea Pvt.LTD.''

Album: Jaisay Chaho Jiyo – 2002 – Sadaf Stereo Singles:

Jaisay chaho Jiyo 2002 no 1

Aao Wahan Chalain 2002 no 1

Aahista Aahista 2003

Rakh Aas – Karavan – 1997 – VCI Records

Mera Jee Nahin Laage – Included on the Soundtrack of 20th Century Fox film “Split Wide Open” –March 2000

Title song “Suraj Girhan” for PTV Drama Serial “ Suraj Girhan” – 2000

2 songs included in a UK released compilation album “Love Rocks-The Beginning” released by Gladiator Records- 28 October 2002

Jeeto Mere Laal 2002 –World cup cricket song later on dedicated to the Blind Cricket World Cup winners sponsored by Tapal Tea Pvt. Ltd.

Yeah mamla Koi Aur Hai 2002 a message of world peace and brotherhood first ever spiritual a cappella ''Hamd'' by any popstar in the Muslim world no 1

Album :''Yeah Mamla Koi Aur Hai 2003 - Label Event Records/Sadaf - Best seller in Pakistan, UK, US, Canada, South Africa. Album :''Najam 2008 - FrankFinn Music India and Fire Records Pakistan - The album features Chris Eaton, Dan Wheeler, Natalia Williams, UK's famous Jazz Singer, Signe Anderson etc. Singles:

Yeah Mamla Koi Aur Hai 2002

Rahain Bhataknae Walay 2002

Kar Liya Soda 2003

Gilay shikway 2003 against War and terrorism

Shapar 2003 Official song for the Airforce

Ae Watan 1997 Tribute to the legendary Classical Maestro " Amanat Ali Khan''

National Song “Hamari Pehchaan” – Dedicated to the nation on 14 August 2003 - Sponsored by Tapal Tea Pvt. Ltd.

Song “Jaise Tu (Harjaee)” for the soundtrack of GEO TV's Drama Serial “Daira” 2003

Shahpar – Air force Day Song – 6 September 2003

9th SAF Games 2004 3 songs for the 9th SAF Games opening and closing ceremonies in Pakistan “Rising Above - Buland Saab Taasubaat Sae” “Peace For All” and “Remember We Will”

Janbaz 2004 A tribute to Armed Forces sponsored by the largest tobacco company'' Lackson Tobacco Pvt.LTD.

Composed the song “Bheegay Hont Tere” for the Bollywood Film “Murder” produced by Mahesh Bhatt and Directed by Mukesh Bhatt which won all the film and music awards in 2005

Album "Menu Tere Naal'' 2004 Ten years of Najam Sheraz

Singles:

In Say nain 2004 version featuring 15 of Pakistan's top Musicians and Artists no 1

Menu Tere Naal OST of the Bollywood movie ''Murder'' no 1

Hamari Pehchan no 1

Rabba no 1

Peace for all

Song "Aa Mere Paas Aa" for the soundtrack of Hum TV's Drama serial ''Malika'' 2005

National Anthem of Pakistan reproduced for the first time since 1947 launched from the Presidency at 12AM on the 14th of August the Independence Day of Pakistan on all the TV Networks

Yeah Pal 2005 OST for the Bollywood Film ''Kalyug''

Tribute song ''Jan Nisar'' to the Police Department of Pakistan.

Tribute Song ''Salam'' dedicated to the Armed Forces for their efforts during the Kashmir Earthquake 2005 also performed for UN and NATO forces in Kashmir.

Tribute song ''Zinda Qaum'' dedicated to the Nation for their united efforts during the Kashmir earthquake 2005.

Aa Mere Piyar Ki Khushbu'' Ost for the ARY TV's Drama Serial ''Aa Mere Piyar Ki Khushbu'' 2005

Signed up with the Largest Telecom Company Mobilink/Orascom for their biggest campaign to date to promote National harmony and tolerance also celebrating 20 million customers nationwide

Mohabbat Ki Zuban 2006 no 1 wrote, composed and performed the theme song of the campaign. The video of the song is also the largest budgeted video made in Pakistan to date. The song has also become a mobitune for the Telecom's 20 million customers.

I love you more than Anything 2006 no 1 Single from the upcoming Album featuring International singing and dancing group ''Heartbeat'' and Hisham (Reef)

Currently working on the 8th solo Album in UK with Chris Eaton as co-producer featuring the musical talents of Dan Wheeler, Mark Edwards, Miles Bould,Matt Weeks, Collin, Paul Burton (aka Paulie Poppadom) Natalie Williams and Signe Andersen.

Sponsorships:

Pepsi Cola International signed Najam Sheraz up for the year 1999

Tapal Tea Pvt. Ltd. signed Najam Sheraz up for the years 2001- 2003

Composed, sang and Produced the 50th Anniversary song for Coca Cola International - 2003

Mobilink/Orascom signed Najam Sheraz for their biggest campaign to date to promote National harmony and tolerance also celebrating 20 million customers nationwide. Acting Experience: * Long Play “Qurbani”. Played an aspiring music director in search of a break into the film industry. -1998

1 Episode of “Seth And Company” a comedy serial. Played a double role – as self and that of “Jabbar Plumber” - 1999

2 part Comedy Serial “Kirkit”. Played the role of the Captain of a street cricket team - 1999

2 Episodes of PTV Comedy Serial “Ahista Ahista”. Played self. Song “Ahista Ahista” from the album “Jaisay Chaho Jiyo” was used as the tile song-2002

Comparing Experience:

Toshiba Bomba Show – BBCL Productions A musical showcase and game show of 13 episodes in which various Artists were invited to perform and interact with myself– 1999/2000

Ramzan on the Streets – GEO TV A 4 episode game show based on the spirit and essence of Ramzan

Tours:

Bahrain – December 1996

US/Canada – October/November 1998

Kuwait – December 1998

India – May 1999

India – March 2000

Norway – August 2003

UAE - Dubai – November 2003

UAE - Dubai – March 2004

Bahrain – April 2004

UAE - Dubai – May 2004

US – June 2004

US/Canada – August/September 2004

India - August 2004

UK - December 2004

Dubai - Bollywood Music Awards - February 2005

UK - Bradford Festival - June 2005

UK - July 2005

Norway - Oslo Festival - August 2005

UK - August 2005

US - New York Pakistan Independence Day Parade - August 2005

India - September 2005

Kashmir - Earthquake Relief and Rehab Program - October 2005

UAE - Dubai - December 2005

UK - East London - Global Peace and Unity Event 2005 - December 2005

Canada - Toronto - Reviving The Islamic Spirit Conference 2005 - December 2005

UK - May 2006

India - Mumbai - June 2006

UK - London - June 2006

UK - Manchester August 2006

UK - London October 2006

UK - East London - Global Peace and Unity Event 2006 - November 2006

Manchester - UK - December 2006

UK- February 2007

UK- July 2007

USA-August 2007

India Nov 2007

UK Nov/Dec. 2007

India April/May 2008

USA June 2008

Thailand June-August 2008

UK Oct 2008

India Nov.2008

Italy Jan.2009

Bulgaria Jan 2009

UK Feb 2009

USA March 2009

UK March 2009

India July 2009

USA July 2009

Dubai August2009

USA August 2009

India Jan-March 2010

USA August 2010

UK Oct-Dec.2010

India March 2011

USA/Canada Jun-Dec.2011

Bangladesh Feb.2012

Awards:

Best New Artist of the Year – Pro Audio Show 1996 – Karachi

Best Music Album of the Year – Yeh Mamla Koi Aur Hai – Lux Style Awards 2004 – Dubai

Best Male Artist of the year – Indus Music Awards – 2004

Maymar-e-Watan Award 2004 - Sindh Provincial Assembly - Karachi

Special Award for the Hamd “Yeh Mamla Koi Aur Hai” – Indus Music Awards – 2004

Indo-Pak Celebrity Peace Cricket Match - March 2004 – Sharjah. Received the Man of the Match and Best Bowler Awards

Best OST Award for a Bollywood Film ''Murder'' Song Menu Tere Naal -Bollywood Music Award 2005

Best song of the year 2009 at Lux style Awards ''khabon Ke Rishtay''

See also

soundtrack for the movie Split Wide Open

External links

www.najamsheraz.com - Official Site

Najam Sheraz Pakistani Pop Icon - Pakistan Television

Najam Sheraz @ Myspace.com

Video Interview of Najam Sheraz

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:People from Multan Category:People from Karachi Category:Pakistani pop singers Category:Pakistani film singers Category:Pakistani civil engineers Category:University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore alumni

fr:Najam Sheraz