page_title: Pakistan Rangers
section_title: Role
hierarchical_section_title: Pakistan Rangers / Role
context_page_description: The Pakistan Rangers are a paramilitary federal law enforcement organization in Pakistan operating under the authority of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan. Their primary purpose is to secure and defend important sites such as the country's border with India, although they are also usually involved in many internal security operations with the regular Pakistani military and provide assistance to municipal and provincial police forces to maintain law and order against crime, terrorism and unrest.
  "Rangers" is an umbrella term for the Pakistan Rangers - Punjab and Pakistan Rangers - Sindh with the former being headquartered in Lahore and responsible for guarding the Pakistani province of Punjab's 1,300 kilometre-long International Border, and the latter being headquartered in Karachi and responsible for guarding the Pakistani province of Sindh's ~912 kilometre-long IB—all with neighbouring India. The two forces operate under their own separate chains of command and wear distinct uniforms.
context_section_description: Aside from the primary objective of guarding the border with India, the Rangers are also responsible for maintaining internal security in Pakistan and serve as a major law enforcement organization in the country. Despite this, they do not possess the power to make arrests like the regular police with the exception of when the state temporarily sanctions them with such an authority in times of extreme crisis. Their primary objective as an internal security force is to prevent and suppress crime by taking preventive security measures, cracking down on criminals and thwarting organized crime with the use of major force. All suspects apprehended by the Rangers during a crackdown are later handed over to police for further investigation and possible prosecution when the chaos is brought under control. The same privileges are also temporarily granted by the government to other security organizations such as the Frontier Corps for the same reasons.
  The Rangers are also tasked with securing important monuments and guarding national assets in all major cities, including Islamabad.
  In the past, they have also served as prison guards for high-profile terrorists until they were withdrawn from such duties.
  The Rangers have notably contributed towards maintaining law and order in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore in major crises. Due to the developing internal instability in Pakistan, the Rangers have become an extremely necessary force to maintain order throughout the provinces of Sindh and Punjab.
caption: A Ranger in ceremonial dress guarding the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal in Iqbal Park, Lahore.
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