Afghan army cadets with ambassador Janan Mosazai in Islamabad. PHOTO: AFGHANISTAN EMBASSY IN ISLAMABAD
The move comes after Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had offered training to Afghan forces during his visit to Kabul late last year. The cadets will take part in an 18-month long course.
This is the first ever group of Afghan National Army cadets to attend a course at the PMA.
Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai, while welcoming the cadets at the embassy in Islamabad, said that the move represents growth in Pakistan and Afghan ties.
“These six young cadets, selected from among the best in Afghan National Army,” Mosazai said, adding that they “represent the steady and solid quantitative as well as qualitative growth and development of Afghanistan’s national security and defence forces over the past decade.”
“They take great pride in providing security to the Afghan people and defending the country against external threats, and who enjoy the strong backing and support of the entire Afghan nation.”
The arrival of the cadets coincides with a six-day visit to Pakistan by a five-member Afghan military delegation led by Afghan National Army Director General of Training, Education and Doctrine Maj Gen Nematullah Khushiwal.
“The induction of these young Afghan cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy is an important step in both countries’ efforts to strengthen, broaden and deepen security and military relations, and cooperation in all areas,” the Afghan ambassador said.
Highlighting their role as ambassadors of their country in their own individual right, Ambassador Mosazai asked the cadets to establish close and long-lasting ties of professional and personal friendship with their Pakistani counterparts as well as with students from other friendly countries attending PMA.
Former President Hamid Karzai had long opposed Afghan forces training in Pakistan in spite of Pakistan’s repeated requests.
COMMENTS (36)
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Sheryar Khan
Your first comment is nothing but a translation of pro Jamat e islami urdu news papers in the 1990s.
The Afghan Taliban were already a group and many of their recruits were studying in Pakistani madrassas funded by Saudis and Uae.
Pakistani intelligence worked on them and formed this group, so they could get total control while waging Jihad in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Afghan Taliban, and Alqaeda became allies through the strenuous efforts of Pakistan intelligence services and both were not too kind to other sects.
And I must protest at the glorification of two conquerors namely Nadir Shah and Abdali who ravaged Pakistani Punjab and looted its wealth with impunity.
Hahahahaa look at all the Indians burning in jealousy. Mind your own business fellas. Stop your obsession with us, didnt you get the message in 1947? We want you to get away from us.
@Pankaj
Actually, it is the Indians who are facing an identity crisis, mixed with inferiority complex. Have you ever tried watching your TV channels? LOL, everyone is trying to speak English and ignore Hindi. What's the matter? Is Hindi not good enough? Want to be like the Brits? Also, whats with the obsession with fair skin? Why cant Indians accept the fact that they're dark/tan and not try to be like the Europeans?
@MullaGULLA
LOL are you really gonna teach us military history? India's the one which cant even suppress the Kashmiri insurgency for 60+ years. Fun fact: Kashmir is the most militarized region in the world. That's because the Indian govt knows that the only possible way to suppress Kashmiris is to outnumber them. Oh, and Israel is backed by about 6+ super powers. It's in no way "pint sized". So please, read a history book once in a while.
*ET please dont censor my comment again. If you let the hateful comments of some Indian commentators get published, then surely mine can get published as well. *
@Sheryar Khan:
That time in history wont be ever repeated. The entire Muslim world can't even face a pint sized country called Israel shouldn't dream about challenging India. We have the best government since Chandragupta in India and if we had the same strong government during invasion of the barbarians, the Indian history would have been different.
@Sheryar Khan - "We welcome the brave sons of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Baba.."
Nadir Shah was from Iran not Afghanistan....
@Zalmai - "Every Pakistani and Indian Muslim I ever met all claim to be Pathan, which to an Afghan just means an IndoPak Muslim is trying hard to be what he is not. "
Well said.. In fact the latest fad among Pakistani Muslims is to suck up to the Arabs, while trying to be more Arabs than the Arabs themselves.
@Zalmai: Hahahaha........... Sometimes they says they are Arabs, because they follow Islam. Sometimes they says they are Afghans because they they ruled this territory. They are ready to says themselves anything but never say they belong to this land on which they are living since time immemorial. This is called identity loss.......... you are spot on.
Welcome to the Afghans! They will be received with open arms at the gates of the PMA and after due hazing, brought on to fraternize with the rest of their GC cohort. A fun life awaits these young men and I hope that many more from Afghanistan follow in their footsteps.
The benefit of their arrival will allow for a change in mindset. For the first time, the two militaries will start looking at each other as not too different. The religious bonds and duty to respective countries should bring these boys together for the betterment of Afghanistan and Pakistan relations inshallah.
Good luck gents! Make your country proud while at the PMA!
@Zalmai: 'You probably call yourself Pathan like millions of IndoPak types who lack...'
How judgmental of you! The Pathans are the proud progeny of the brave Pashtun conquerors who ventured outside in tens of thousands to make the world their oyster, hence India their colonial settlement. You, on the other hand, are the offspring of the non-martial variety; the na-joraan; the carpet-weavers and the shepherds, who on different fora, still harp about Pashtun conquests far and wide by people you hold so deep a grudge against. Their ancestors crossed the Khyber on horseback as victors; yours as refugees on lorries.Live justifying this ugly fact.
@ Pakistani Pashtun First and foremost Afghan/Pashtun is synonymous, you would know this if you had studied the poems of Khushal Khan Khattak.
Afghan kings ruled from Kandahar, Ghazni, Ghor and Kabul respectively, how do you figure Pakistani Pashtuns into this equation. Not a single Afghan king was from the Pashtun territories that fall on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line. It is funny how Pakistani Pashtuns claim kinship with Afghans to spite India but detest Afghan Pashtuns at the same time.
Do you even know how to speak Pashto and know how to do the Attan? You probably call yourself Pathan like millions of IndoPak types who lack an identity of their own as Muslims of the subcontinent and seek a glorified identity by seeking kinship with Afghans/Pashtuns.
Every Pakistani and Indian Muslim I ever met all claim to be Pathan, which to an Afghan just means an IndoPak Muslim is trying hard to be what he is not.
Six Afghan cadets being trained at PMA is a great step in building trust and rapprochement between neighbors.
Pakistanis and Indians shouldn't read too much into this development. Afghans are simply being pragmatic and accepting assistance from all nations that are assisting in the rebuilding of Afghan institutions.
Afghan scholars and security personnel are being educated and trained in China, India, Turkey, US, Britain, Germany, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Afghans are thankful for the opportunities provided by these nations. Afghanistan is rebuilding from scratch and they gladly seize any and all opportunities provided to them.
Silly comments by Indians and Pakistanis turn every issue related to Afghanistan as some sort of a one upmanship between them forgetting the fact that wily Afghans don't care about kinship with either and are purely exercising pragmatism in self preservation.
@ajeet: Pakistan was ruled by Pashtuns, not Afghans, and most Pashtuns are Pakistanis. Hence, all the Afghan/Pashtun kings are part of Pakistani history. And the Pashtun kings ruled over India. In other words, we ruled over you.
With all due respect to all afghans .. I'm quite wary of this step. Considering the attitude of most of the afghans towards Pakistan even after living 30+ years here.. I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Apart from that, I wish them a prosperous future with a good army & economy.
This is obviously a good development for Pakistan if these Indian trolls are so pathetically writhing in pain because of it in this discussion thread. And given the intellectual caliber of their arguments here, it is clear that they are not opposing this development because of its own merit for objective reasons. But no matter, now this howling and squealing on a Pakistani newspaper is all they will be able to do now.
@ajeet: Dont understand why ur telling that to me ......if u mean in terms of population ratio ,ill surely agree with u since Pakistan has a larger population..........but if u mean in terms of military strength then im afraid u have a lot to learn.....
We welcome the brave sons of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Baba..
Unity is what we need globally and it must begin in central Asia and this leads to security and prosperity.
No nation today lives Afghans like Pakistan so let those bitter remain bitter but woe unto these words equally do not fall into their deceitful traps.
Their is a wise saying:
Bagal mein choori moon pay Ram Ram.
Their deceit is noted throughout history by our forefathers.
It means they ( people if The Ganges ) carry a knife under their arm and play nice on your face but hide a dark agenda.
Take a snippet out of history the Mughal commander 6 ft plus tall Afzal Khan (remember he was a Khan too) allowed respite to a petty Hindu terrorist a bandit a vagabond by the name of Siva. Siva agreed to the terms and said only the 2 of them shall meet and come unarmed. The upright true to his word Muslim agreed and met thsee misely 5 ft tall insignificant man and when he met him in customary Muslim fashion met with open arms. The Hindu Siva in customary Hindu style pulled out a knife and in a frenzy stabbed him in the back to death. Some say he decapitated Afzal Khans head and thus a cowardly villain becomes a Hindu hero.
today they have a statue if siva on the shores if Mumbai to signify an anti Muslim symbol.
Brothers know your history and know your enemy and work towards brotherly unity for a better Afghanistan wa Pakistan.
Afghanistan wa Pakistan Zendabad
Ajeet
There are more Pashtuns in Penshawar than any city in Afghanistan and Karachi is the most populous Pashtun city in the world.
let me correct you Afghans and Pakistanis are one and the same and it is they who have crossed the Indus and ruled over you people of the Ganges.
We are one regardless of Indian Misinformation.
We know our history do you know yours. Your not so distant fire fathers have told you not to Stoke trouble in our back yard else the sons if Nadir Shah Zaman Shah Abdali and Ghouri will come knocking on your door.
Mind your own please.
@Virkaul: A tainted view of history indeed and let me correct you. India armed and funded Northern warlords against the South and sought to divide Afghanistan along ethnic lines.
The Taliban was a response to Indian backed injustice namely the murder and rape of Pashtun girls at a college in Qandahar at the hands of Indian financed and supported warlords.
Agreed the Taliban brought a very strict brand of Islam with them the history by yoyr account us tainted.
Afghans Pashtun Tajik Uzbek have to live as One and this will not happen through India and corrupt people like Karzai.
India has no place in Khorasan and learn another history. last time Hindu Kings went on misadventures to Stoke the fires in central Asia and harm vital alliances and trade routes it was The Afghans that came and conquered all the way to the doors of Gujerat.
@Human: Haha. Afghans have always ruled over the region which is now Pakistan. Funny that Pakistan is training the brave Afghans. One Afghan is equal to 100 Pakistani soldiers.
Ghani you the man
@Nadir: aik container burnol bhejo
@muslim: enemy of my enemy is my best pal
Welcome brothers... late but great. Time to finish the control of india in afghanistan. By the way what makes indians afghanis friends i can't understand.
@Ghobar: I am sure he is not. Only a a Pakistani Punjabi can call $2 billion peanuts. You exposed yourself Sir.
@Dr. Nasir ALI Bhatti: "Why were these Taliban created, when India was about to land it's forces at Kabul after the retreat of Russian forces". You need to go back to school Sir to refresh a lesson or two in history.
Welcome Brothers !
@Afghanistan
I highly doubt that you are an Afghan!
What is wrong with our print media to give space to antipakistan comments and opinions as of Sara, ajeet and Truth. It is first most pleasing news for Pakistan to receive Afghan cadets for training. India our eternal enemy is root cause of all the problems, would spare no effort to have some sort of footing in Afghanistan only to harm Pakistan. Cadets are from our brotherly country and they are most welcome. Why were these Talibans created, when India was about to land its forces at Kabul after the retreat of Russian forces. It is just a matter of time when tide will turn in all respects in favor of Pakistan.It was strange to see Modi offering tea to Obama in the same city Hydrabad which was run over by the Indian army tanks in spite of the declaration by State of Daccan to adhere with Pakistan. Now India cant see the solidarity of two brotherly countries.
As an ordinary afghan, I welcome this move and in my opinion, we should balance the relationship with India and Pakistan and stay away from their rivalry, as Pakistan does with USA and China. I know India would try to shift its war from kashmir to our country just by providing $2 billion assistance, which I think is just peanut given the price we pay for that. However, we cannot ignore the importance of any country located in our surrounding.
@ajeet: Just like karzai was an india agent? Mr Ghani is doing only what is good for Afghanistan unlike karzai who always worked for indian interests...
@sarah tj:
Sarah, Afghans are liberal minded persons ??? what history books have you been reading.
Ghani is a Pakistani agent and needs to be sent packing.
Good now send them back as jihadis.
Probably one of the most important steps towards developing trust between the two country's military/intelligence establishments. We should welcome bigger classes from the Afghan Army to deepen our friendship and remove and trst gap caused on interference of other countries.
If Pakistani officials thinks that training afghan army cadets would turn them pro Pakistan they are wrong these secular minded personals Will never deal with pakistan with the sentiments of brotherhood instead their loyalty will always be for west and india.
Can anyone else hear RAW squirming?
Very good step by both governments. This will help improve the level of trust between two countries