The Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, (Urdu: ﺁرمى انجنيرينگ كور; Army Engineering Corps), is an administrative branch, and a major science and technology command of the Pakistan Army. 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. Besides the performing and undertaking the combat and military engineering operations, the Corps operates major engineering organizations such as the Military Engineering Service (MES), the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), and the Survey of Pakistan. The Corps is commanded by a three-star general— a Lieutenant-General— who is designated as the Engineer-in-Chief, serving as the Chief Army Topographer, and consults and guides the Chief of Army Staff in matters of science and technology. The current Engineer-in-Chief and current commander of the Corps of Engineers is Lieutenant General Moazzam Ijaz. History Initially part of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers which dates back to 1780, the Corps of Engineers came in its own on 14 August 1947, following the birth of Pakistan. At that time, the organisation was named "The Royal Pakistan Engineers", which remained so till March 1956, when Pakistan become a Republic, and its name changed to the "Corps of Engineers". The partition of British India, led to a share of the British Indian Army units being allotted to Pakistan; amongst these were 34 Engineer units and subunits. The field units were from the Bengal and Bombay groups, roughly two-thirds of the former, and one-third of the latter. The units transferred from the Bengal Group were H.Q. 622 Corps Engineer Group, with 31 Assault Field Company, 33 Parachute Field Squadron, along with 2, 4, 5, 68, 70 and 71 Field Companies, 43 and 322 Field Park Companies and a number of E. & M., Railway and other specialist units. From the Bombay Group, Pakistan received Headquarters 474 Army Engrs, 17 91 and 98 Field Companies, 42 Field Park Company, a troop of 411 Para Field Squadron ex Karachi, and 489 Independent Stores Platoon. 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. Activities 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,