Pakistan Coast Guards

The Pakistan Coast Guards (reporting name: PCG) is a law enforcement organization and one of the six uniform services of the Paramilitary command functioning and operating under the civilian control of the Interior Ministry (MoI).

The Coast Guards consisted the active-duty members of Pakistan Army and commanded by one-star rank Brigadier who is headquartered in Karachi, Sindh Province of Pakistan. The Coast Guard are charged and mandated with protecting the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh Province while it conducts military exercises and operations relating to riverine warfare. The Coast Guards should not be confused with the Maritime Security Agency (MSA) of the Pakistan Navy, which is by law and constitution, charged with defence of coastal areas of the country, conducting military operations to maintain maritime law enforcement in national and international waters.

The Coast Guards were first established and raised by Col. Mohammad Ifzal Bhatti as the Maritime Security Agency in 1971 and constituted operationally in 1972 through a Presidential Ordinance. The Parliament restored the constitutional status of the Branch after passing and promulgating the «Coast Guards Act» in 1973 and recognized as one of the six uniformed services of Paramilitary Command. Since then, it has upgraded its facilities and fleet to bolster its capabilities of littoral patrolling of the coast line. 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.