Afghan army cadets with ambassador Janan Mosazai in Islamabad. PHOTO: AFGHANISTAN EMBASSY IN ISLAMABAD
In his speech on Thursday, Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai billed the cadets as the first group from the Afghan National Army to receive military training at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, Abbottabad.
According to Mosazai, the induction of these cadets is a step in the right direction which will strengthen cooperation between the militaries of the two countries.
More significantly, the move 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 Major General Nematullah Khushiwal.
Meanwhile, Islamabad has lauded Kabul’s decision to send cadets to Pakistan. During a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam termed it an indicator of expanding relations between the neighbours.
Security officials have repeatedly maintained that stronger ties will enable the cadets to receive top-notch military training at PMA.
Beyond distrust?
Since the arrival of cadets is the first substantial outcome of talks between President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan’s military and intelligence personnel, it has symbolic importance.
In his maiden visit to Kabul in November, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif promised to offer training courses at military academies in Pakistan for Afghan security personnel.
For many years, Pakistan had been pushing for military training but former Afghan premier Hamid Karzai vehemently opposed the proposal owing to a trust deficit between both countries.
Over the years, Karzai put forward a series of justifications for his stance. The former president insisted he would not repeat the mistakes of previous Afghan leaders who had sent military officers for training to the erstwhile Soviet Union. According to Karzai, most of these officers were allegedly brainwashed by the Soviets and then helped them invade Afghanistan in 1979.
Many of Karzai’s aides were reluctant to send officers for training to Pakistan because of the latter’s support for insurgents in Afghanistan.
However, the matter was further complicated when Karzai ratified the Strategic Partnership Agreement with India in October 2011. Under this agreement, India agreed to assist in training programmes for the Afghan forces.
India has been providing military training and non-lethal military aid to Afghan security forces. Over 300 Afghan army officers are currently in India while 1,400 have been trained since 2003.
According to the Indian media, officers have been trained at the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
The Pakistani establishment has strong reservations over the training of Afghan forces in India would have repercussions for it.
In 2013, Karzai had cancelled a planned visit to Pakistan by a group of Afghan military officers on the pretext of alleged cross-border rocket attacks in its eastern Kunar province.
Road to progress
Defence experts on both sides of the Durand Line believe Kabul’s decision to send cadets to Pakistan shows that the trust deficit between the two countries has been bridged. The national unity government in Afghanistan and changes in Pakistan’s military leadership have been cited as some of the major reasons for this.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, former Afghan defence minister Shahnawaz Tanai lauded the decision as an important step.
“Afghan security forces need training as they are now responsible for the country’s security,” Tanai said. “The government has taken a right decision.”
According to Paksitan Army Brigadier (retd) Syed Nazeer, since both Pakistan and Afghanistan are tackling militancy, cadets will get opportunity to learn strategies to counter terrorism.
He told The Express Tribune on Friday, “Pakistan and Afghanistan can take advantage of each other’s experiences and find new ways to cope with the threat.”
Nazeer was optimistic that Afghanistan will also accept offers to send security forces to Command and Staff College Quetta and National Defence University Islamabad.
According to a security official, coordination centres along Torkham and Spin Boldak [on the border] have been reactivated and Afghan officials are awaiting Pakistani officers to make these centres functional.
Official reports suggest that both countries have also planned joint training sessions in the future. Through these steps, Afghanistan and Pakistan will able to develop important linkages and put aside a long-standing history of distrust.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.
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