Pakistan Coast Guard

The Pakistan Coast Guards ( reporting name: 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, illegal immigration 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.

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 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 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.

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.
* 3rd Battalion, Korangi

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