Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday recognised the deep-rooted ties between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, expressing the hope that relations between the two countries would reach “historic heights” in the future.
The army chief made the remarks while attending the passing-out parade at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst where he was the chief guest.
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army’s initial officer training centre.
All British Army officers, including late-entry officers who were previously Warrant Officers, as well as other men and women from overseas, are trained at the academy. Sandhurst is the British Army equivalent of the Britannia Royal Naval College and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.
Due to the pandemic, the army chief had not visited the academy over the last couple of years, but had been a regular visitor each year since he took over as head of the army.
Today, the COAS began his address by saying that it was a “great honour and privilege” for him to be present during today’s ceremony.
He congratulated the cadets and their families on successfully completing their training at the academy, saying: “You are part of one of the finest militaries in the world that has produced great military leaders”.
“Two Pakistani cadets will also be graduating with you today and let me say that I am as proud of you as I am of them,” he told the graduating cadets.
Gen Bajwa said that his presence at the academy today bore “testimony” to the “deep-rooted relationship” shared by Pakistan and UK “based on mutual respect and shared values”.
“Similarly, the bond between the two armed forces is uniquely special and has been kept alive over the years through close professional contact in training and other military activities,” he remarked.
The COAS, moving on to address the passing out cadets, highlighted that there would be great responsibilities and expectations associated with them henceforth.
Gen Bajwa said primary reason for armed forces to exist today, should not be to prosecute wars, but to ensure that they do not take place.
He 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.
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 (RMAS) on Friday during a ceremony that attracted military leaders from dozens of countries of the world.
This was the 198th sovereign’s parade where General Bajwa became the first Pakistani to be the sovereign’s representative.
General Bajwa was accompanied at the parade by Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Iftikhar Babar and Pakistani High Commission’s military attache Col Rana Asif Khan.
