Armed forces of Pakistan

The Pakistan Armed Forces are the military forces of Pakistan. They are the seventh largest in the world in terms of active troops. The armed forces comprise three main branches: Army, Navy and the Air Force, together with a number of paramilitary forces and Strategic Plans Division (SPD) forces. The Pakistani military has its roots in the British military, in which many Pakistanis served prior to the 1947 declaration that marked the establishment of Pakistan. Many of the senior officers who would form the Pakistan Armed Forces had fought with British forces in World War II, thus providing the newly created country with the professionalism, experience, and leadership it would need to defend itself against India. In a formula arranged by the British, military resources were supposed to have been divided between India and Pakistan with a ratio of 64% going to India and 36% for Pakistan; however, Pakistan initially demanded 50% of the equipment. Between 1947 and 1971 Pakistan fought three conventional wars against India. The last of these, the 1971 War, ended with the secession of East Pakistan (which became Bangladesh). Rising tensions with Afghanistan in the 1960s and indirect war fought against the Soviet Union in the 1970s led to a sharp rise in the development of Pakistan Armed Forces. In 1999, an extended period of intense border skirmishing with India resulted in a redeployment of forces. As of 2014, the military is conducting counterinsurgency operations along the border areas of Afghanistan, while continuing to participate in several United Nations peacekeeping operations.