Time for Conscription

[Ahmet Pasha]

What a wonderful idea this

Agreed. One year conscription. Not for the frontlines but deploy them on cleaning the country up, digging canals, going to remote areas and teaching kids, laying underground sewer lines by digging and fill over etc.

 

[AfrazulMandal]

I'm sure this has been discussed numerous times but considering the current confrontation, should Pakistan consider partial conscription of 18 - 20 yo men?

My rational is that any future war will be fought largely in Kashmir. Having tons of additional infantry troops would make an offensive operation to liberate IOK a possibility. Considering the change in the Indian side to initiate an aggression against Pakistan we have to change our approach as well. Supporting an unconventional insurgency will leave us open to international allegations of supporting terrorism. We need to develop a conventional option as well.

Another area I see these conscripts help out is in infrastructure development. We need to invest 5% -10% of our GDP into infrastructure development. A low debt way to this would be to conscript young men into the Army corp of Engineers and have them build or support building of energy, water, and transport infrastructure.... Hydro power dams being the priority.

As far as I'm concerned young men in Pakistan should either be at work, studying in school, praying at mosque or in the military.

If your objective is just to 'liberate' Kashmir, you are doomed.

The rest of our nation will eventually mobilise and retake all that is lost in due course of time.

If you want success, you have to capitalise on your temporary superiority.

 

[Jugger]

I think India's current objective is a war of attrition...but economically. We may have to shift to a war economy. Civilians may get less in the near term so military and export industries can be supported.

You are smart.
It was always economic, to keep the enemy poor so that the vicious cycle shall continue forever.
It was never about killing or taking territory.

 

[Kamikaze Pilot]

The British Army that fought in both world wars was mostly conscript.

Wrong! The British World Wars were fought by soldiers recruited voluntarily from the colonized countries like India, Africa and I guess Caribbeans. Who knows how many actual wars these third world soldiers fought because the racist British don't give credit and reality may have gone undocumented. Why, even 70 years later they still recruit Gorkhas into British army. Why they don't conscript Britons now?

 

[hunter_hunted]

In a foxhole.

 

[War Thunder]

Your concerns need to be kept to yourself.

Pakistan has no shortage of volunteers for the Military and the state wants to keep it that way.
We're in no shortage of manpower or resources.

Oh bhai, dimagh ke kamzor awam...
Conscription does not necessarily mean to force peopel to serve.
It means to train young folk, and let them go but to call them when needed.
How many volunteers can you train?

 

[WarKa DaNG]

No need for conscription, volunteers under the command of PA doing guerrilla warfare and hit and run tactics in Kashmir will be a nightmare for indians

 

[TheNoob]

Oh bhai, dimagh ke kamzor awam...
Conscription does not necessarily mean to force peopel to serve.
It means to train young folk, and let them go but to call them when needed.
How many volunteers can you train?

Ah yes, dimagh ke kamzor awam.

What if those trained folks end up joining some miscreants. Gangsters. Private Security.
What then? Its a waste of money, they'll never use those skills when its needed.

So rather put your resources elsewhere.

Just cuz you train young folk for when they are needed is against their right.
It is a unnessescery burden for the state, and the future.

Our current military is capable of the defense as it is.
keep Quality OVER quantity.

Look at WW2.
Compare Germany's numbers against that of the Allied numbers combined.

Number is NEVER going to overcome quantity.


So, my point?
We have better choices to spend our resources on then potential future runaways who are nothing but a resource drain.

 

[CrazyZ]

The German army in WW2 was a conscript army, well trained and lead by a very professional officer corp. It was largely destroyed by the Red army that also was a conscript army...whose officers got better through battle (and a lot of losses). If anything, WW2 supports the notion that a conscript army lead by a capable officer corp, are the most potent armies.

 

[Zhukov]

You don't need conscription. You will have enough volunteers if need arises

 

[Imad.Khan]

The entire German Army ~ Whermacht thsat conquered most of Europe and North Africa was mostly conscript. The Israeli army that has defeated all Arab armies is conscript. The British Army that fought in both world wars was mostly conscript. Large scale wars can only be fought with conscript armies where you lost million men in combat. Professional armies are okay for storm in teacup affairs ...

And the Turkish Army is mostly conscript ...

The Arab armies are also conscripts and we all know their amazing performances in wars against Israel.

Conscription makes for poor quality troops. In Australia they have the Army Reserve which are volunteers. I am sure Pakistan will have no shortage of volunteers for a new Reserve Army.

 

[CrazyZ]

The Arab armies are also conscripts and we all know their amazing performances in wars against Israel.

Conscription makes for poor quality troops. In Australia they have the Army Reserve which are volunteers. I am sure Pakistan will have no shortage of volunteers for a new Reserve Army.

The key here "is lead by a capable officer corp". The Iraqi's used very poor strategy and tactics in the first gulf war. The Egyptian army performed well against the Israelis in 1973, if they had a good air force, Israel would have been toast. The Syrians army could have over run Israel in 1973 had an overly cautious officer not halted their advance. Don't believe all the propaganda.

 

[TMA]

The entire German Army ~ Whermacht thsat conquered most of Europe and North Africa was mostly conscript. The Israeli army that has defeated all Arab armies is conscript. The British Army that fought in both world wars was mostly conscript. Large scale wars can only be fought with conscript armies where you lost million men in combat. Professional armies are okay for storm in teacup affairs ...

And the Turkish Army is mostly conscript ...

Yes but Pakistan may introduce conscription for 'Total War' should that be forced upon her, but what she DOES not have is everything else that goes with that. She will run out of fuel and reserves very quickly and that million man conscript army should it ever arise will just end up rotting in a large scale war.

I have just returned from another trip and the one thing that gets me is the lack of organization as well as an inferiority complex. Pakistanis are just not organized except the military. Sure they have individual talent, extreme talent but all that fizzles out when it is not organized. In order to sustain large scale war, the entire society from city to tribal lands all facets of economic, political and social life must be cohesive and organized, hence why N.S Germany could do so much against so many foes over such a period. Pakistan would barely last two weeks.