They are also often involved in major internal and external 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.

This is not exclusively limited to a wartime scenario, but whenever Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan is invoked to provide "military aid to civil power".

As the situation severely deteriorated and fell out of the control of local police, the Pakistan Rangers undertook a large-scale military operation and initiated an intense crackdown on criminals, the MQM political party, as well as Taliban-aligned militants.

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.

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.

In late 1989, due to growing riots and the worsening situation of law and order in the province of Sindh, a new force was raised for a strategic anti-dacoit operation.

Following these series of events, the federal government decided to substantially increase the strength of the Pakistan Rangers and raise a separate, dedicated headquarters for them in the province of Sindh.

When threats to the business and political community were increasing alarmingly in Karachi in the forms of kidnapping for ransom, extortion, industrialists began to shift their investments and activities to Bangladesh and other countries.

Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani took notice of the dire situation and at the request of the government as well as the business community, the Pakistan Rangers were deployed with special powers granted by the constitution.

[8] The Rangers played a crucial role in restoring and maintaining peace and curbed law offenders without any discrimination and consideration of political affiliation.

[9] During 2011-12 the subunits of the Rangers, along with other law enforcement agencies, received a number of drug-testing kits from a UN programme, to assist in their work against the smuggling of drugs through Pakistan.

[15] In March 2015 the Rangers raided the main office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi and detained members of the party.

[19] U.S. Lieutenant-General Vincent Stewart gave testimony to a US Senate committee in February 2016, in which he said the Rangers operations carried out in Karachi had helped reduce violence in the country.

[21] Another major operation in October 2017 saw the Rangers arrest 16 people accused of being gang members in the Lyari area, engaged in various crimes such as robbery and selling illegal drugs.

[24] Beyond the policing powers, the Rangers have also assisted in rescue and relief operations during emergency situations such as in August 2020 when Karachi experienced considerable flooding from heavy rainstorms.

[26] In November 2022 the Rangers coordinated with local police and stopped a bus carrying 122 people of Afghan origin who could not prove they were citizens or had visas.

Personnel joining as sepoys can reach a maximum rank of honorary DSR (Deputy Superintendent Rangers), which would be equivalent to an army captain.

A news report of January 2021, about the destruction of vast quantities of seized contraband goods by Pakistan Customs, indicated that 73 Wing is based in Hyderabad.