The Pakistan Armed Forces (Urdu: پاک مسلح افواج, Pāk Musallah Afwaj) are the overall unified military forces of Pakistan. The Pakistani military was first formed when the nation achieved independence from the British Empire during the Partition of British India in 1947.
Its component branches are:
- Pakistan Army
- Pakistan Navy
- Pakistan Air Force
- Paramilitary forces of Pakistan
- Pakistan Coast Guard
- Pakistan Strategic Nuclear Command
The Army, Navy and Air Force were commissioned in 1947 in anticipation of a potential hostilities against India. From the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of Pakistan. A sense of national unity and identity was forged out of the wars of 1947 and 1965 against India.
Approximately 700,000 personnel are on active duty in the military which is the world's 7th largest armed force as of 2009. Combined with the 302,000 strong Paramilitary forces and 528,000 in reserve, the Military of Pakistan has a total size of approximately 1,449,000 personnel. The Military draws its manpower from a large pool of volunteers and as such, conscription is not, and has never been needed.
