In a recent official clarification, Major General (R) Zahid Mahmood presented verified statistics that corrected claims made by Mahmood Achakzai regarding alleged imbalances in representation within Pakistan’s armed forces. The data provides a clear picture of fair provincial representation and disproves prior misleading narratives.
According to official figures:
• Punjab, accounting for approximately 51–52% of Pakistan’s population, has representation in the armed forces roughly proportional to its population, making it the largest contributor.
• Sindh, with about 20–21% of the population, contributes around 17% of the military personnel.
• Balochistan, which makes up roughly 5–6% of Pakistan’s population, accounts for about 5% of the armed forces.
The clarification also highlights that senior leadership positions have historically included officers from all provinces. For example, Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Musa Khan, who hailed from the Hazara community in Balochistan, served at the highest level, alongside other officers from Sindh, Balochistan, and other regions, demonstrating inclusive leadership.
Major General Zahid Mahmood emphasized that these verified figures show the prior claims were misleading and part of data-driven propaganda. Pakistan’s armed forces maintain representation reflective of the country’s provincial population distribution and ensure fair opportunities for leadership positions across all regions.
This clarification reinforces that the armed forces of Pakistan are committed to transparency, inclusivity, and merit-based leadership, effectively debunking attempts to portray regional bias. By providing official data, the military has underscored that provincial representation is proportional, leadership is inclusive, and misleading narratives are systematically corrected.
