Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers

The Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, (Urdu: ﺁرمى انجنيرينگ كور; Army Engineering Corps), is an active military administrative staff corps, and a major science and technology command of the Pakistan Army.[2] Although the Corps is generally associated with dams, canals and flood protection, it performs variety of public works for the Government of Pakistan, only if it is ordered by the Prime Minister.[2]

Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers
Founded	14 August 1947 (1947-08-14)
Country	Pakistan
Branch	Pakistan Army
Type	Military engineering
Role	Combat engineering
Size	Approx. 65,000 personnel
Part of	Pakistan Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi Cantonment, Punjab
Nickname(s)	Sappers
Motto(s)	Urdu: روہ ای راون‎ "The Moving Spirit"[1]
Colours
Anniversaries	6 September (Defence Day)
Engagements/Civil Operations	See list: Indo-Pakistani Wars and Conflicts First Kashmir War (1947–1948) 1965 Rann of Kutch skirmishes Second Kashmir War (1965) 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Siachen conflict (1984–2003) 1999 Kargil War War in North-West Pakistan Operation Sherdil Operation Black Thunderstorm Second Battle of Swat Operation Rah-e-Nijat United Nations/NATO Missions Yugoslav Wars Bosnian War Civil Engineering Projects / Humanitarian Relief Efforts 2005 Kashmir earthquake response 2010 Attabad Lake disaster response
Website	Pakistan Army − Engineers
Commanders
Colonel Commandant	Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz
Engineer-in-Chief	Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz
Command Sergeant Major	General Mansoor Ali
Notable commanders	Lt Gen M. Anwar Khan Lt Gen Zahid Ali Akbar Lt Gen Javed Nasir Gen Ziauddin Butt

Besides the performing and undertaking the combat and military engineering operations, the Corps operates major engineering organizations such as the Military Engineer Service (MES), the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and the Survey of Pakistan.[2] The Corps is commanded by a three-star general— a Lieutenant-General— who is designated as the Engineer-in-Chief, served as the Chief Army Topographer (CAT) and consult and guide the Chief of Army Staff in the important concerning matters of science and technology.[3] The current Engineer-in-Chief and current commander of the Corps of Engineers is Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz.[3]

Initially part of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers which dates back to 1780, but it came in its modern form on 14 August 1947, following the birth of Pakistan.[2] As for its war performances, the Corps took active military participation in the 1965 war, the 1971 war, the 1999 war, the 2001 standoff and the current operations as of 2000s.[2] In the 1960s, the Corps designed the Karakoram Highway, at that time, one of its largest project that connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of 4,693 m or 15,397 ft as confirmed by both SRTM and multiple GPS readings.[4][5]

During the Kashmir earthquake of 2005, the Corps initiated the massive and one of the largest rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in Corps history, rebuilding and redesigning the entire cities of Gilgit and Muzaffarabad as well as Azad Kashmir. Its speedy rehabilitation operation was completed in record time and the entire city was rebuilt in 2008. As more recently, the Corps undertook the intensive rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in deluge in southern parts as well as recent earthquake in Western parts.

Since its inception, the Corps has built extensive military and civilian infrastructure of Pakistan Armed Forces as well as Pakistan Government, ranging from building bridges, dams, military regional headquarters and civil corporate architectural buildings.[2] The Corps mission has been extended with time passes, and is renowned to have designed, construct, and built the GHQ, ammunition plants, army cantonments, as well as Kahuta Project and its related research facilities.[2][6]