The primary objective and constitutional mission of the Pakistan Army is to ensure the national security and national unity of Pakistan by defending it against any form of external aggression or the threat of war. It can also be requisitioned by the Pakistani federal government to respond to internal threats within its borders. During events of national and international calamities and emergencies, it conducts humanitarian rescue operations at home and is an active participant in peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations (UN)—most notably playing a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers who had requested for a quick reaction force during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia. Troops from the Pakistan Army also had a relatively strong presence as part of a larger UN and NATO coalition during the Bosnian War and larger Yugoslav Wars.
The Pakistan Army, a major component of the Pakistani military alongside the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force, is a volunteer force that has seen extensive combat during three major wars with India, several border skirmishes with Afghanistan at the Durand Line as well as a long-running which it has been combatting alongside Iranian security forces since 1948. Since the 1960s, elements of the army have been repeatedly deployed to act in an advisory capacity in the Arab states during the events of the Arab–Israeli wars as well as to . Other notable military operations during the global war on terrorism in the 21st century included: Zarb-e-Azb, Black Thunderstorm, and Rah-e-Nijat.
The Pakistan Army has played an integral part in the civil society of Pakistan, almost since its inception.
In times of national calamities and natural disasters, including the devastating earthquake in 2005 or the great floods in 2010, the army engineering corps, medical, logistical personnel, and other armed forces services have played a major role in area rehabilitation and reconstruction of cities and towns while distributing the relief goods and military rations to the affected civilians.Since 1948, the army has been involved in providing power generation to affected areas, building dams, and construction of towns and cities, and conducting rescue operations for evacuations of general public and animals from endangerment.
To coordinate and manage the proper relief operations, reconstructions, and rehabilitation, the federal government appoints the active-duty officers, as an external billets appointments, to lead federal agencies such as ERRA and the NDMA. Besides relief activities in the country, the Pakistan Army has also engaged in other parts of the world such as coordinating and leading the relief efforts in Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka after these countries were affected by the underwater earthquake that resulted in tsunami in 2004.
Stephen P. Cohen in his article, Pakistan: Army, Society and Security writes:
There are armies which guard their nation’s borders, there are armies which are concerned with protecting their own position in society, and there are armies which defend a cause or an idea. The Pakistan Army does all three. (Stephen P. Cohen)
Similarly, in the war against terrorism, the Pakistan Army and the people have worked together and are doing so, In final analysis, terrorism is now a multi-dimensional threat perspective. The fifth-generation war can spread its wings into the target countries and societies in horizontal and vertical planes. One of the manifestations of this war was observed in recent past when a coordinated campaign against Army was launched by adversary and some local people also fall victims of this campaign in shape of May 9, 2023 incident which has been opposed by general public and showed their support to Army. Pakistan Army’s firmness in resolution of all internal and external issues against national interests has been once again proven with the support of general public.
