reporting name
NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...
: PCG) ( ur, ) is a maritime law enforcement agency within the Pakistan Army. It is a Army-managed and Army-controlled law enforcement agency whose mission is dedicated for the riverine operations and coastal operations by taking responsibility for conducting the anti-narcotics missions, mounting efforts for the
anti-human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extract ...
,
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
through the coastal areas, and taking initiatives in the anti-smuggling.
The Coast Guards branch is distinguished from the Navy's Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MSA). The MSA has the ability to conduct search and rescue operations in deep sea and has foremost responsibility of defending the coastal areas while conducting military operations for maritime law enforcement in national and
international waters
The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed region ...
.
On the other hand, the Army's Coast Guard is responsible for a policing role by preventing criminal activities such as smuggling, human trafficking through the coastal areas such as country's beaches.
History
From 1947–60s, the
Pakistan Customs
Pakistan Customs () is one of the elite cadres of the Civil Services of Pakistan.
Pakistan Customs is manned by officers from the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) which is one of the premier occupational group among Pakistan's civil services. P ...
had the law enforcement responsibility for the defense of land and sea based frontiers of Pakistan with the objective to prevent smuggling of contraband items into and from Pakistan. In 1971, the headquarters of the Coast Guard was established in Karachi with Pakistan Army's Brigadier Sajjad Husain becoming its first director-general.
Its constitutional status was granted through the Parliamentary procedures in 1972 and became a federal law enforcement agency in 1973 while remaining a branch with the Army. The Pakistan Coast Guards are responsible for maintaining the constitutional law at the Pakistan's beaches and patrolling the riverine platforms while the combat sea-based
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
missions, enforcement of admiralty law in the international waters, and preventing the armed piracy falls under the responsibility of the Maritime Security Agency (MSA).
Since then, it has upgraded its facilities and fleet to bolster its capabilities of littoral patrolling of the coast line. The Army's Coast Guard is headed by an appointed Brigadier who is formally known as Director General. The officers of the Force are seconded from the Army and Navy for a period of two to three years, while the troops are permanent. In addition to land based troops, the Coast Guards also maintains a small fleet of patrol boats to perform its sea-borne duties, although the operations in deep water and dangerous undertaking are conducted by its counterpart Maritime Security Agency (MSA) of Pakistan Navy.
The exact number of personnel and equipment held with Coast Guards remains classified. The Pakistan Coast Guards works under administrative control of Ministry of Interior in peace time whereas it will come under operational control of Pakistan Army in wartime situations.
The Organization
Headquarters and Battalions
The Headquarters with its complements and PCG
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergen ...
.
PCG Battalions are led by commandants with the rank of lieutenant colonel, appointment coming from the Army. The Battalions are located as follows:
* 1st Battalion, Pasni,.
* 2nd Battalion,
Gwadar
Gwadar ( Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 ...
.
* 3rd Battalion,
Korangi
Korangi ( ur, ) is one of the neighbourhoods of Korangi District, Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
* 4th Battalion, Uthal.
* Field Intelligence Unit
The battalions are each subdivided into 3-4 companies (commanded by majors/captains seconded from the Army).
;Interior Ministry support
* 50 Aviation Squadron
Marine Wing
Pakistan Coast Guards as a whole is spread all over to safeguard coastal belt of 1050 km as well as up to 12 NM Territorial Waters of Pakistan. Marine Wing of PCG is entrusted with the responsibility of 12 NM of territorial waters. The Marine Wing is based at Karachi and commanded by a commander of operation branch, seconded from Pakistan Navy. MW is equipped with Fast Patrol Crafts, lethal Interceptor Boats and other Utility Boats with latest equipment on board. MW has full facility to train its men in the relevant fields and able to conduct general and technical cadres. Marine Wing PCG has also established Search and Rescue Centre to safe the precious life in distress and to prevent property loss or damage.
Mounted Infantry Troop
AT Coy is based in Korangi with a Training Wing and is responsible for maintaining
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
s,
camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. ...
s and
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...
for use in the field, as well as a dog section. It is commanded by a seconded captain from the Remount, Veterinary and Farm Corps (RV&FC) of the Army.
Ranks
Roles of PCG
Anti-smuggling
To keep a check on smugglers and stop their activities of smuggling (inbound as well as outbound) through the sea routes. PCG Battalions have special check posts all along the coastal belt and also pickets the threatened areas randomly. In addition, ''The Intelligence Wing'' has a network of agents and informers and establish pickets in consultation with Commandants of the PCG Battalions when a potential smuggling activity is reported to take place. PCG has been equipped with modern communication and surveillance equipment; including
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
s, to perform this task.
Human Trafficking
The Pakistan Coast Guard has in recent years, undertaken greater operations against drug & weapon and even human trafficking/smuggler networks operating in the coastal waters.
Counter Narcotics
PCG is responsible for narcotics control along Pakistan's coastline.
Fleet
*Fast
Patrol Boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
s (FPB)s - including
Rigid inflatable boat
A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are i ...
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.
Design and development
Development began in the ...
*
Jet Ranger
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progra ...
Law enforcement in Pakistan
Law enforcement in Pakistan ( ur, ) is one of the three main components of the criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the judiciary and the prisons.
The country has a mix of federal, provincial and territorial police forces with both gen ...