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پاکستان عسکری درسگاہ | |
 | |
| Motto | |
|---|---|
Motto in English | "A triumph from God and a victory that is close at hand" |
| Type | Pakistan Army's initial officer training academy |
| Established | 14 October 1947; 78 years ago (1947-10-14)[1] |
| Commandant | Maj Gen Iftikhar Hassan Chaudhary |
Academic staff | 3,000–4,000 (both civilian and military) |
| Location | ,, Pakistan |
| Colours | Green and red |
| Website | https://pakistanarmedforces.com/pakistan-military-academy/ |
ThePakistan Military Academy (PMA), located inAbbottabad,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, isaccredited by theNational University of Sciences & Technology (NUST).[2][3] Established in October 1947, it is the onlymilitary academy in Pakistan that trainscadets to serve as army officers.[4][1]
The PMA hosts around 2,000 guests each year, representing more than 34 countries. The academy also trains cadets from Pakistan’s allied nations, which send their cadets and officers to the PMA for training.[5][6]
After thepartition of British India in 1947, theBritish Indian Army was divided between the newly created states of India and Pakistan.BrigadierFrancis Ingall, an officer of the former British Indian Army, was selected by theCommander-in-Chief of India,Field MarshalSir Claude Auchinleck, to serve as the firstcommandant of the Pakistan Military Academy.
Ingall chose a vacant site atKakul for the academy. The site had housed theBritish Indian Army's Physical Training and Mountaineering School before thepartition of British India in 1947. This was an active operational space for theRoyal Indian Army Service Corps. The school had been established in a formerPOW camp used during theBoer War in 1902.[7]
Ingall structured the PMA based on the model of theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst and requested aregimental sergeant major from theBrigade of Guards to assist with training. He received support from several former British Indian Army officers who had transferred to the Pakistan Army, includingLieutenant-ColonelAttiqur Rahman and Major S. G. Mehdi M.C., the first PMA adjutant and founder ofQasim company, who later commanded theSpecial Service Group (SSG) of thePakistan Army.
When the dispute over the accession ofJammu and Kashmir led to armed conflict betweenIndia andPakistan in late 1947, Ingall adapted the Academy's training to the conditions faced by the Pakistan Army in order to prepare new officers for a largely mountainous and open terrain and to create a new officer class for Pakistan. Afterwards, Ingall was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) after completing his term as commandant in 1950, and later was honoured with his name on Kakul's central lecture theatre, Ingall Hall, constructed years after his departure.[8] He kept in touch with the academy for the rest of his life with various visits. During his final visit in November 1997, he said:
"I have given many addresses from this position here, and from 1948 to 1951, I was very keen on the question of Pakistan and believed in it. I believed what theQuaid-e-Azam preached. I believe in Islam."[9]
A total of 67 cadets (66 Muslims and 1 Christian cadet) arrived from theIndian Military Academy (IMA), India's military training counterpart, on 15 October 1947. New cadets for the 1st PMA Long Course (78) and the 1st Graduates Course (63) were selected in Pakistan, and training officially began in January 1948 with 208 cadets. On 25 January 1948, "The First Pakistan Battalion" was instituted. This battalion has four companies, which were "named after the luminaries of Muslim military history" (e.g.,Khalid,Tariq,Qasim, andSalahuddin). In March 1948, the First Battalion was bestowed with Quaid-e-Azam's patronage as Colonel-in-Chief, and the most coveted claim of being "The Quaid-e-Azam's Own".
Khawaja Nazimuddin gave the Quaid-e-Azam banner to the Pakistan Military Academy on behalf of Quaid-e-AzamMohammed Ali Jinnah. The champion company hoists the Quaid-e-Azam banner at each passing-out parade. "Regimental colors presented in 1950 byLiaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister ofPakistan, and the National Standard in 1961 byGeneral Muhammad Musa, the then-Commander-in-Chief of thePakistan Army, have been some of the honours showered on the Academy, which it has always zealously guarded and kept high in letter and spirit."[10]
The 1965 war with India led to the expansion of the Academy, with the establishment of the second battalion at the Academy in December 1965. Thisbattalion consisted of four companies, called Ghaznavi, Babur, Aurangzeb, and Tipu. In early 1989, the third battalion of the Academy was founded. The third battalion's four companies are Haider, Ubaida, Saad, and Hamza.
FormerCOAS,GeneralRaheel Sharif, inaugurated the 4th PakistanBattalion at PMA on 10 October 2016.[11]
The nationwide competition for cadet selection attracts thousands of applicants. Tests are conducted byISSB (Inter-Services Selection Board) at centers around the country. The selection process is rigorous, and all applicants are required to undertake a range of relevant assessment tests and exercises, as well as meet the medical and fitness requirements during the selection stages.[citation needed]
GCs (Gentlemen Cadets) are required to pass various physical tests, which increase with promotion to the next term. The basic requirement for cadets of the first term is to be able to complete a one-mile run (1.6 kilometers) in six minutes and thirty seconds. In the second term, cadets are required to complete a one-mile run in six minutes and fifteen seconds. For the third term, the one-mile run time is six minutes, and most fourth-term cadets are required to complete a one-mile run within six minutes. Tests include push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, rope test, a five-mile run, an assault course, and the acid test. These tests evaluate the stamina and strength of a cadet.
In the "acid test," cadets begin by traversing a mountain while carrying logs on their shoulders. This is followed by a 14.5 km run in full gear to an obstacle course. Those completing the course are given five rounds with which to hit a target at a distance of 22 m.[12]
LCs (Lady Cadets) are also required to pass physical efficiency tests, similar to those of GCs, but the standards are slightly lower, considering their physique. The basic requirement for all LCs is to run one mile (1.6 km) in 10 minutes or less. Other tests include push-ups, sit-ups, bar hanging, assault course, and an exercise of Qiyadat with GCs.
There are several training exercises for cadets, which include:
For training, the Gentlemen Cadets are organized in battalions and then further into companies. There are 16 companies in the Pakistan Military Academy, named afterArab warriors andcommanders. The companies under the 4th Battalion are named after four out of eleven recipients ofNishan-e-Haider.
| 1st Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) | 2nd Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) | 3rd Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) | 4th Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalid | Ghaznavi | Haider | Aziz |
| Tariq | Babar | Ubaida | Shabbir |
| Qasim | Aurangzeb | Saad | Akram |
| Salahuddin | Tipu | Hamza | Sher |
There are five types of courses (or curricular plans) that run parallel to each other. The types of courses are:
The PMA Long Course is for regular commissioned officers of combat and combat support arms & services. The Long Course has a duration of two years, which is divided into four terms of six months each. After the 2-year training period, Cadets pass out as 2nd Lieutenants.
Candidates who wish to join the army as anengineer apply for this course. Candidates are required to have completed 12 years of academic education, including courses inPhysics,Chemistry, andMathematics. Candidates who are successful in all tests conducted for selection are then sent to a NUST institution for aBachelor of Engineering degree, depending on the field they choose:
After completing their Bachelor of Engineering degree, the E-Cadets are sent to[13] Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for one year of military training, after which they are commissioned as captains in their respective units
To be eligible for this course, a candidate must have attained 16–18 years of academic education with coursework inPhysics,Chemistry, andBiology. Candidates who pass the initial and GHQ Selection Board tests conducted by the army are sent to theArmy Medical College forMBBS or forBachelor of Dental Surgery, after which they go through a Basic Military Training at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for 22 weeks. Apart from GCs of AM College, IC accepts cadets who are willing to join EME, Signals, RVFC, and Army Education Corps with a minimum master's degree in several fields. The IC has a duration of six months. Cadets graduate as Captains.
'The Lady Cadet's Course' was introduced in November 2006[14] and is designed for qualified women who are professionals in their respective fields. The course is taken byFA-qualified ladies who are sound professionals in their fields. The lady cadets undergo a training period of six months and pass out as Captains in the supporting arms of the Pakistan Army.
| S.N | Name | Start of tenure | End of tenure | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brig F.H.B Ingall, DSO | 4 November 1947 | 31 December 1950 | |
| 2 | Brig. G.H Tarvar, DSO | 7 June 1951 | 20 February 1953 | |
| 3 | Brig. G. Pigot, MC | 21 February 1953 | 18 November 1955 | |
| 4 | Brig J. H Souter, MC | 19 November 1955 | 7 April 1957 | |
| 5 | Maj Gen Shoukat Ali Shah | 8 April 1957 | 2 May 1959 | |
| 6 | Brig Fazal Muqeem Khan, SQA | 3 May 1959 | 17 October 1959 | |
| 7 | Brig Mohammad Rafi | 18 October 1959 | 29 February 1964 | |
| 8 | Brig Sultan Mohammad | 30 March 1964 | 14 November 1966 | |
| 9 | Brig Abubakar Osman Mitha | 15 November 1966 | 23 November 1968 | |
| 10 | Maj Gen Syed Abid Ali | 6 February 1969 | 1 December 1969 | |
| 11 | Maj Gen Ijaz Ahmed, SK | 2 December 1969 | 29 April 1970 | |
| 12 | Maj Gen Riaz Azim, TPk | 30 April 1970 | 10 February 1972 | |
| 13 | Brig (Later Major General) Abdullah Saeed | 11 February 1972 | 20 November 1974 | |
| 14 | Brig Zamir Ahmed Khan | 21 November 1974 | 4 June 1976 | |
| 15 | Brig (Later Lieutenant General) Ahmad Kamal Khan | 5 June 1976 | 15 February 1978 | |
| 16 | Brig (Later Lieutenant General) Imranuallah Khan | 16 February 1978 | 11 July 1982 | |
| 17 | Maj Gen Rahat Latif | 17 July 1982 | 4 October 1985 | |
| 18 | Maj Gen (Later General & Chief of Army Staff) Asif Nawaz | 5 October 1985 | 14 May 1988 | |
| 19 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Ghulam Muhammad Malik | 15 May 1988 | 2 July 1990 | |
| 20 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Lehrasab Khan, SJ | 3 July 1990 | 17 April 1992 | |
| 21 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Muhammad Maqbool | 18 April 1992 | 1 July 1993 | |
| 22 | Maj Gen Malik Saleem Khan | 19 July 1993 | 22 August 1995 | |
| 23 | Maj Gen Rizwan Qureshi | 23 August 1995 | 22 April 1997 | |
| 24 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Jamshed Gulzar | 23 April 1997 | 22 November 1998 | |
| 25 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Imtiaz Shaheen | 3 December 1998 | 3 March 2000 | |
| 26 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Shahid Hamid | 3 March 2000 | 4 November 2001 | |
| 27 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Hamid Rabnawaz | 5 November 2001 | 14 October 2004 | |
| 28 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General)Ahsan Azhar Hayat | 1 November 2004 | 30 April 2006 | [15] |
| 29 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General)Nadeem Taj | 1 May 2006 | 3 October 2007 | [16] |
| 30 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Zahid Hussain Khan | 4 October 2007 | 12 October 2008 | [17] |
| 31 | Maj Gen (Later General & Chief of Army Staff)Raheel Sharif | 13 October 2008 | 14 October 2010 | [18] |
| 32 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Mazhar Jamil | 15 October 2010 | 15 May 2012 | [19] |
| 33 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Sadiq Ali | 16 May 2012 | 29 July 2013 | [20] |
| 34 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General)Nazir Ahmed Butt | 30 July 2013 | 28 October 2014 | [21] |
| 35 | Maj Gen (laterGeneral &Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee)Nadeem Raza | 29 October 2014 | 10 December 2016 | [22] |
| 35 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Abdullah Dogar | 15 December 2016 | Oct 2017 | [23] |
| 36 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Akhtar Nawaz | Oct 2017 | 25 November 2019 | [24] |
| 37 | Maj Gen (Later Lieutenant General) Muhammad Ali | 25 November 2019 | 25 November 2020 | [25] |
| 38 | Maj Gen (Now Lieutenant General)Omer Ahmed Bokhari | 25 November 2020 | Dec 2022 | |
| 39 | Maj GenIftikhar Hassan Chaudhary | Jan 2023 | Till date | [26] |
Several officers trained at the PMA would join Bangladesh during theBangladesh Liberation War or afterwards.
