14,000 FATA youth to join Pakistan army

[user1]

This is a very good strategy. It will provide the youth of FATA with much needed financial sufficiency. Coupled to 'Army led infrastructure development' it could prove to be a real game-changer for the region. Next step should be changing the status of area by making it a province of it's own and abolition of Frontier Crimes Regulation and concurrent implementation of 'The constitution of Pakistan'.

@Samandri, it is time that you know the history of the area. After the fiasco of first Afghan War in 1839 - in which only 1 out of 16000 members of British Army had survived - the British started to recruit people from the FATA area and thus was established the legendary 'Khyber Rifles'. Once their financial needs were met, the people of the area become a loyal contingent of the British Indian Army. What makes you think that these people will not welcome the new opportunities of employment? Looking at past history, there does not seem to be a problem of 'ghayrat' at all.

 

[Green Arrow]

Good move but make sure no taliban get in

 

[saiyan0321]

Reminds of the way they tackled the threat of BLA. Defeated them and then recruited the people. The thing is this si perhaps the most effective way to defeat your opponent however here is a threat that we must make sure that no taliban or taliban sympathizers get it as spies can be a problem for us big time.

However the main advantage of doing this would be that the families of those 14000 inductees would be pro pakistan and pro army and will make sure that they and their relatives and friends wont take part in any activity that will harm their son and the country he is serving.

 

[ghazi52]

Good move...

 

[SipahSalar]

make them 50000 and then put them in WOT

I don't know which part of your statement is more insane, the first or the latter.

 

[Viper0011.]

It is good initiative on part of PA but where is the govt?.

Who do you think pays for these new jobs? And do you think without budget allocation from the civilian government, any military can survive? Let alone hire "new" recruits?

The system is what feeds the Military men and women, their children and provides benefits for them. If the military was such a great "economic savvy" organization, Pakistan would be standing right underneath Australia in the top economies list. The fact is, its not, while the military has ruled the country for more than half of its total age.....

I have tremendous amounts of respect for all the sacrifices that the Pak military is taking. I am just setting the tone right that the "system" is what feeds the military. The military defends the country and that is as far as you can go with it. People in the military don't come from Banking, Financial and Stock markets. They don't know how to run a country's economy. It's always been (will always be) a civilian government that does it (effectively with positive economic growth based on business and investments, not on payments from the US on WOT)

 

[Eurock]

give em enough work to do ,create jobs , create oportunities , get em busy. so they dont get recruited to terrorists and try to live a normal life

 

[ghazi52]

Very much true...

 

[Max Pain]

its quite a big number considering the total population of FATA,
also the Indigenous population has the know how of the land and would only help the army's efforts in the long run that shall only reap good results now that Zarb E Azb has reached its Final Stages.

14 thousand soldiers means 14 thousand pro pakistan families in FATA.
certainly a big +

 

[Samandri]

its quite a big number considering the total population of FATA,
also the Indigenous population has the know how of the land and would only help the army's efforts in the long run that shall only reap good results now that Zarb E Azb has reached its Final Stages.

14 thousand soldiers means 14 thousand pro pakistan families in FATA.
certainly a big +

FATA has 8 million population.......15000 is not exactly big number in proportion to their population. British Indian army recruited more soldiers from FATA than this even though the area was hostile to them. From Afridi tribe alone three thousands soldiers were recruited in regular army in WWI, beside Khyber rifles, at the time when population of FATA was much smaller.

Unlike Punjab, this belt has historically always produced professional soldiers which has served in the armies of Delhi sultanates, Mughal empire, Deccan sultanates and even in armies of Hindu Rajas. If you think about it, share of rich and fertile Punjab in army shouldnt be more than 10%, most of the soldiers should have been recruited from relatively arid and rugged regions of FATA, South KPK and Balochistan.

 

[django]

FATA has 8 million population.......15000 is not exactly big number in proportion to their population. British Indian army recruited more soldiers from FATA than this even though the area was hostile to them. From Afridi tribe alone three thousands soldiers were recruited in regular army in WWI, beside Khyber rifles, at the time when population of FATA was much smaller.

Unlike Punjab, this belt has historically always produced professional soldiers which has served in the armies of Delhi sultanates, Mughal empire, Deccan sultanates and even in armies of Hindu Rajas. If you think about it, share of rich and fertile Punjab in army shouldnt be more than 10%, most of the soldiers should have been recruited from relatively arid and rugged regions of FATA, South KPK and Balochistan.

No doubt they are tough chaps, however are they more disciplined than folks from Punjab?

 

[Samandri]

No doubt they are tough chaps, however are they more disciplined than folks from Punjab?

British didnt complain about their discipline.......Discipline comes from training in academies.....Punjabi peasant is as much indisciplined as pakhtun mountaineer when they first join the army

 

[django]

British didnt complain about their discipline.......Discipline comes from training in academies.....Punjabi peasant is as much indisciplined as pakhtun mountaineer when they first join the army

Punjab has and has had traditionally better schools than FATA, Samandri yaar education certainly enhances the quality of the soldier especially the officer core, one only has to look at the quality of the folks across the Durand line , their lack of education and discipline made for an inferior soldier despite some of them exhibiting excellent sniping skills.kudos

 

[graphican]

its quite a big number considering the total population of FATA,
also the Indigenous population has the know how of the land and would only help the army's efforts in the long run that shall only reap good results now that Zarb E Azb has reached its Final Stages.

14 thousand soldiers means 14 thousand pro pakistan families in FATA.
certainly a big +

Yes its a very encouraging development. These soldiers will be local and would know the territory inside out leaving no space for terrorists to exploit that. So the usual advantage which local terrorists had against non-local force will be eliminated.

 

[Samandri]

Punjab has and has had traditionally better schools than FATA, Samandri yaar education certainly enhances the quality of the soldier especially the officer core, one only has to look at the quality of the folks across the Durand line , their lack of education and discipline made for an inferior soldier despite some of them exhibiting excellent sniping skills.kudos

Officer core was not on my mind, British recruited Sipahis from Punjab and Pakhtunkhwa and at that time education was not a big deal. Afghanistan produces undisciplined soldiers, because they didnt inherited the superior military infrastructure from British like Pakistan and India did. On average Afghan is superior soldier, if he is part of superior military and gets better training and education. The performance of army of communist regime of Afghanistan was actually very impressive, only 40 thousand strong but far superior to present day ANA.

In my opinion , the basic criteria for a good soldier is fearlessness, then you train and discipline that fearless soldier. For commanders, its possession of leadership qualities and iron nerves. I am not a military expert, just my raw thoughts