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Pakistan Military Academy

Training Academy for Pakistan Army Officers situated in Abbottabad, Pakistan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pakistan Military Academy
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Not to be confused with Officers Training School.

Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) is a military academy located near Kakul village in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It was established in October 1947,[2][1] it is the only service academy in Pakistan that trains cadets to serve as army officers. The institution is accredited by the National University of Sciences & Technology.[3][4]

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The PMA hosts approximately 2,000 guests representing over 34 countries annually. The academy also enrolls cadets from Pakistan's allied countries, which send their cadets and officers to PMA for training.[5][6]

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History

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Before the dissolution of British India in 1947, the site housed the British Indian Army's Physical Training and Mountaineering School, established on a former POW camp used during the Boer War in 1902.[7] It became an active operational space for the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.

After the partition of the British Indian Army, which was then the armed forces of present-day India and Pakistan in 1947, Brigadier Francis Ingall, an officer of the then British Indian Army, was selected by the Commander-in-Chief of India, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, to serve as the first commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy. Ingall chose the vacant site at Kakul for the academy. He structured the PMA based on the model of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and requested a regimental sergeant major from the Brigade of Guards to assist with training.

Ingall received support from several former British Indian Army officers who had transferred to the Pakistan Army, including Lieutenant-Colonel Attiqur Rahman and Major S.G. Mehdi M.C., the first PMA adjutant and founder of Qasim company, who later commanded the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army.

When the dispute over the accession of Jammu and Kashmir led to armed conflict between India and Pakistan in late 1947, Ingall adapted the Academy's training to the conditions faced by the Pakistan Army in order to prepare new officers to a largely mountainous and open terrain and to create a new officer class for Pakistan. Afterwards, Ingall was appointed an Officer of the Order 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, in his last, in November 1997, where 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 the Quaid-e-Azam preached. I believe in Islam."[9]

A total of 67 cadets (66 Muslims and 1 Christian cadet) arrived from The Indian Military Academy(IMA), India's Military Training counterpart, on 15 October 1947. New cadets for 1st PMA Long Course (78) and 1st Graduates Course (63) were selected in Pakistan and training started officially in January 1948. 208 cadets began their training in January 1948. 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, and Salahuddin). 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-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The champion company hoists the Quaid-e-Azam banner at each passing-out parade. "Regimental colors presented in 1950 by Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the National Standard in 1961 by General Muhammad Musa, the then-Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan 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 led to the expansion of the Academy, and a second battalion was established at the Academy in December 1965. This battalion 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.

Former COAS, General Raheel Shareef, inaugurated 4th Pakistan Battalion at PMA on 10 October 2016.[11]

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Physical requirements

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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 also an exercise of Qiyadat with GCs.

There are several training exercises for cadets, which include:

  • First term: Kick Off, Saluting Tests, Cross Country, Sang e Bunyad, Yarmuk, Path Finder, and the GCs are required to spend three minutes in the Boxing Ring with another opponent following a lengthy training period.
  • Second term: T.M Raiders, Panipat, and Assault Course are also added as a part of the PT Tests: Qiyadat and the Acid Test
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Battalions and companies

For training, the Gentlemen Cadets are organized in battalions and then further into companies. There are 16 companies in Pakistan Military Academy, named after Arab warriors and commanders. The companies under 4th Battalion are named after four out of eleven recipients of Nishan-e-Haider.

More information 1st Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own), 2nd Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) ...

Courses

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There are five types of courses (or curricular plans) running parallel to each other. The types of courses are:

PMA Long Course

The PMA Long Course is for regular commission 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.

Technical Cadet Course (TCC)

Candidates who wish to join the army as an engineer apply for this course. It is necessary that candidates have attained 12 years of academic education with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics courses. Candidates who are successful in all tests conducted for selection are then sent to a NUST institution for a Bachelor of Engineering degree, depending on the field they choose:

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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 captain in their respective units

Integrated Course (IC)

To be eligible for this course, a candidate must have attained 16–18 years of academic education with coursework in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Candidates who pass initial and GHQ Selection Board tests conducted by the army are sent to Army Medical College for MBBS or for Bachelor 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 will to join EME, Signals, RVFC and Army Education Corps with minimum masters in different fields. The IC has a duration of six months. Cadets graduate as Captains.

PMA Lady Cadet's Course (LCC)

'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 by FA 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 supporting arms of the Pakistan Army.

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List of Commandants

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Notable alumni

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Pakistani

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Chief of Army Staff

Others

Alumni who defected to Bangladesh

Several officers trained at the PMA would join Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation war or afterwards.

International alumni

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Gallery

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    The main gate of the Pakistan Military Academy from close distance
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    Pakistan Military Academy Entrance Gate from a slight long distance
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    Classroom
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    Language Lab
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    Football Ground
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    Swimming Pool
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    Polo Ground
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    Archery

Media

  • "PMA Passing Out Parade 29 April 2023". 29 April 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023 – via YouTube.

See also

References

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