Pakistan, UK ties to reach ‘historic heights’
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday said primary reason for armed forces to exist today, should not be to prosecute wars, but to ensure that they do not take place.
Addressing the passing out parade at the Royal Military Academy as the first Pakistani chief guest, COAS Gen Bajwa said: “Mankind’s destiny, more than ever before, hinges on our collective capacity to come together and take the route of peace and cooperation instead of conflict, communication instead of clash and multilateralism instead of self-preservation.”
It should be noted COAS General Bajwa has become the first Pakistani ever to be the representative of the Queen during the sovereign’s parade at the Military Academy Sandhurst.
Apart from UK cadets, 41 international cadets from 26 countries including two cadets from Pakistan military academy — Cadet Muhammad Abdullah Babar and Cadet Mujtaba — have passed out.
According to the UK’s Defence Ministry, General Bajwa represented the Queen at the sovereign’s parade for commissioning course 213 (CC213) of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on Friday during a ceremony that attracted military leaders from dozens of countries of the world.
General Bajwa was accompanied at the parade by Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Iftikhar Babar and Pakistani High Commission’s military attache Col Rana Asif Khan.
While addressing the ceremony, General Bajwa expressed his gratitude for representing the Queen, terming it a “unique honour and a great privilege.”
He congratulated the passing-out cadets and their families for successfully completing their training course.
“Your alma matter is, without a doubt, one of the finest military institutions in the world which have produced some of the great military leaders that this world has seen,” he said, adding that graduating from Sandhurst is a great honour and pride.
“Two Pakistani candidates are also graduating and I want to share that I am as proud of all of you as I am of the two of them,” he maintained.
He said: “My presence here is a testimony of the deep-rooted relationship that exists between Pakistan and the United Kingdom based on mutual respect and shared values which have been carefully nurtured by both the nations over many decades.”
“I am sure that this relationship will stay in greater heights in times to come,” he added.
Terming the bond between the two-armed forces “unique”, the chief of army staff said: “Similarly the bondage between the two-armed forces is uniquely special as well forged on the battlefield of great wars and kept alive over the years through exclusive regimental affiliations and close professional contact in training and a myriad of other military activities.”
Addressing the cadets, the COAS said that this day marks the beginning of their formal military service, which is the most “distinguished and the noblest of professions”.
COAS Gen Bajwa, while lauding them for their success, reminded the cadets of the responsibilities and the great expectations associated with them by their alma-mater and respective nations.
He said: “The journey that awaits you is challenging as well as exciting. The demands of professional military service will be much high as you grow in service.
“You need to equip yourselves with lofty attributes of leadership, with clear sense of purpose, to gain the respect and trust of your subordinates. It is only through the development of unwavering trust and confidence that you can instil Esprit-de-Corps in your subordinates under command, which will hold you together in times of crisis.”
