Masud Ahmad Khan
Before Partition, the British exploited the concept of the martial race through the recruitment of soldiers from different races in Punjab and KP. After independence, this changed and recruitment is now carried out from across Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. According to Article 39 of the Constitution of Pakistan (1973), the state shall enable people from all parts of Pakistan to participate in the armed forces of Pakistan. To encourage greater recruitment from interior Sindh and Balochistan, the Pakistan Army has relaxed some recruitment standards, and a mini Baloch Regiment Centre has been operating in Quetta for quite some time.
Soldiers from Balochistan are serving in the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps with distinction and bravery. Many officers and soldiers from Balochistan have sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Nearly 50,000 Baloch are serving in the Pakistan Army, including over 1,000 officers. In 2019, Midshipman Naveed Zehri from Khuzdar became the first cadet from Balochistan to receive the “Sword of Honour” at the Pakistan Naval Academy. Usman Anwar Baloch of the 144 PMA Long Course from Naushki received the “Sword of Honour” at the PMA and became the first Baloch to receive the honour. Soldiers and officers of the Hazara community from Balochistan are also making a valuable contribution to the defence of Pakistan. Some of them rose to higher ranks, such as General Musa Khan and Air Marshal Sharbat Ali Chengezi. Soldiers from Sindh are also playing a significant role in the defence of Pakistan. Some of them rose to higher ranks and are still serving in the Pakistan Army. Urdu-speaking personnel have maintained a strong presence in the Pakistan Army, with many rising to higher ranks.
Similarly, minorities constitute 2 per cent of the Pakistan Army, which includes Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. In the past, Christian and Parsi officers rose to higher ranks and many are still serving in senior positions. There is representation from every province and from every community, for one Pakistan, and the Pakistan Army is one nation in uniform. In the Army, there is no concept of provincialism, regionalism, ethnicity or sectarianism. Today, the Pakistan Army is represented proportionately according to population. Currently, approximately 51 per cent of its personnel come from Punjab, 16 per cent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 per cent from Sindh and 4.5 per cent from Balochistan. Although Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan make up about 3 per cent of Pakistan’s population, their representation is 9 per cent. Soldiers from Gilgit-Baltistan are considered among the best soldiers in the world and proved their mettle during the liberation of Gilgit-Baltistan and in subsequent wars and the war on terror. Some of the officers from the region rose to higher ranks and some are still serving.
The defence of Pakistan is not the responsibility of a single province or a specific ethnicity. Soldiers from across Pakistan have sacrificed their lives for Pakistan’s defence and sovereignty. It is evident from these martyred ranks that the Pakistan Army is not tied to any single province, region or district. In the past five years (from 2021 to 10 February 2026), 3,141 Pakistan Army personnel have been martyred, including 170 officers, 212 JCOs and 2,759 soldiers. A total of 234 were martyred from AJK, 103 from Balochistan, 161 from GB, 534 from KP, 452 from Sindh and 1,657 from Punjab. Today, the casualty ratio of officers, especially young officers, is much higher. They lead from the front; therefore, the risk of being killed is greater than for their men. Officers in the Pakistan Army are models of excellence for their under-command troops. They must set their own example in everything they say and do.
Recently, a politician made highly objectionable comments that the Pakistan Army belongs to only four districts. The comments are insulting and undermine the unity of the nation. They have fostered anger and regret among the rank and file in the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army draws its strength from the people of Pakistan. Some people are trying to create a wedge between the masses and the Army through instigation and false narratives.
The CDF and COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir has said: “Pakistan Army will leave no stone unturned to contribute to the cause of national security and development. We take pride in our unwavering commitment to the people of Pakistan. Pakistan Army and the nation are one. No one can defeat the spirit of Pakistan.”
The Pakistan Army is ranked among the top armies in the world in terms of professionalism and being battle-hardened. There can be no two opinions that the Pakistan Army has rendered remarkable services both in wartime and peacetime.
It is Islam, faith and love for Pakistan that unite all ranks, irrespective of background, behind one commander. Some elements are trying their best to tarnish the image of the Pakistan Army, and those who are busy hatching conspiracies and spewing venom against the institution cannot be well-wishers of Pakistan. Stephen Cohen wrote in his book: “There are armies that guard their nation’s borders; there are those that are occupied with protecting their own position in society; and there are those that defend a cause or idea. The Pakistan Army does all three.”
Let us understand that the Pakistan Army is a national army, which is a symbol of national integration, pride, and the strongest bastion of defence.
The writer is a retired Brigadier, a freelance columnist and security and defence analyst. Tweets @MasudAKhan6
