First group of Afghan army cadets arrive in Pakistan for training

KABUL – For the first time a group of six Afghan National Army (ANA) cadets visited Pakistan to participate in a military training at officer level.

According to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad the cadets will be trained at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Abbottabad.

The training would be conducted over a course of 18 months. “These six young cadets, selected from among the best in Afghan National Army,” Ambassador Janan Mosazai said.

He also added the cadets 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,” Mosazai added.

The deployment of the Afghan army cadets to Pakistan Military Academy comes as the Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had offered training to Afghan forces during his visit to Kabul late last year. 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.