The Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts, are a civil armed force of Pakistan, tasked with law enforcement in the nominally autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and border guard duties. The force was formed in 2003 under the control of the Interior Ministry of Pakistan, but it claims a tradition dating back to the Gilgit Scouts formed during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

era. However, the earlier Scouts unit is now a full infantry regiment of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

(see Northern Light Infantry Regiment, which mostly operates in the same region as the current Scouts.

Formation

The older Gilgit Scouts was raised by British India in 1913 to defend the

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

's northern frontier. In August 1047, the Scouts along with rebels in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, switched allegiance to Pakistan and fought on the northern front of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, conquering important places such as Skardu, Kargil and Drass (the latter two were subsequently recaptured by the Indian Army). In 1949, the Gilgit Scouts were split into two forces, with the wing under the original name 'Gilgit Scouts' designated for internal security operations, and a second wing, named the 'Northern Scouts', designated for major external operations. In 1964, the Northern Scouts were further bifurcated with the raising of the 'Karakoram Scouts' based in Skardu. All three forces were brought together again in 1975, under the banner of the Northern Light Infantry (then a paramilitary force). Following the 1999 Kargil War with India, where the Northern Light Infantry saw extensive combat, the force was converted into a regular

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

. The present force of Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts was created in 2003 to fill the internal security role previously carried out by the Northern Light Infantry.Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI)
, Pakistan Army, retrieved 25 March 2018., Gilgit Baltistan Scouts, retrieved 6 April 2018.

Units

The force is composed of a headquarters, a training centre and six manoeuvre wings (each approximately the size of a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

). About 40 platoons have been tasked with law enforcement within Gilgit-Baltistan, including seizure of unauthorised weapons. The Scouts went through an expansion phase in 2014, with more than 1,500 new personnel being recruited to help with law enforcement on critical infrastructure projects such as the Karakoram Highway. A sixth wing was also added, charged with protecting the building of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam * HQ Wing at Gilgit * 112 Wing serving on the

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serve ...

under 323rd Brigade of the Pakistan Army. * 113 Wing at Skardu * 114 Wing at Siachen * 115 Wing at Chilas * 116 Wing at Ghanche * 117 Wing at Ghizer ;Interior Ministry support * 50 Aviation Squadron

Ranks

Standard equipment

* Automatic Rifles – 7.62 mm Heckler & Koch G3, 7.62 mm Type 56 (POF made) * Sub-Machine Guns – 9 mm Heckler & Koch MP5 * Pistols – Glock series, Sigma series * Sniper Rifles – POF PSR-90,

Steyr SSG 69 The SSG 69 (''Scharfschützengewehr 69'', literally Sharpshooter Rifle 69) is a bolt-action sniper rifle produced by Steyr Mannlicher that serves as the standard sniper rifle for the Austrian Army. Adopted in 1969 (hence the designation), it w ...

* Hand Grenades – ARGES 84 (POF made) * Anti-tank Weapons – RPG-7 (Rocket Launcher),

M40A1 The M40 rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. It has had four variants: the M40, M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The changeover to the A1 model was completed in the 1970s, the A3 in ...

(Recoilless Rifle) * Machine Gun – 7.62 mm

Rheinmetall MG3 The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 ''Einheitsmaschinengewehr'' (Universal machine gun) that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser ...

(POF made) * Heavy Machine Gun – 12.7mm Type 54 (POF made) * Mortars – Various locally produced in use * Bullet Proof Jackets – Various local and foreign types * Helmets – Modular Integrated Communications Helmet and indigenous helmets locally produced * NVG goggles * Utility Vehicles – HIT Mohafiz, Indus Hilux locally produced * Helicopters – Bell 206, Bell 412

Appearance

The formal headwear of the scouts are somewhat similar to the ones worn by the Pakistan Rangers Punjab.

Operations and Internal Security

The Force has been performing both operational and Internal Security tasks since its raising. The Special Composite Task Force formed for the protection of Karakoram Highway is commanded by the Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts. The Force also took part in recent operations in Waziristan.

Director Generals

* Brigadier Inayat Wali (2004–2005) * Brigadier Tassaduq Hussain Zahid (2005–2007) * Brigadier Azmat Ali (2007–2009) * Brigadier Nadeem Ul Ahsan Tirmizi (2009–2012) * Brigadier Babar Allauddin (2012–2014) * Brigadier Farooq Azam (2014–2016) * Brigadier Ijaz Ur Rehman Tanveer (2016 - 2017) * Brigadier Abrar Ahmed (2017 - 2019) * Brigadier Zia Ur Rehman (2019 - 2022) * Brigadier Arslan Israr Mirza (2022 - to date)

References

External links

Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts Law enforcement agencies of Pakistan Military in Gilgit-Baltistan Civil Armed Forces 2003 establishments in Pakistan Government agencies established in 2003