History
Before the dissolution of British India in 1947, the site housed the British Indian Army's Physical Training and Mountaineering School, established on a former POW camp used during the Boer War in 1902. [7] It became an active operational space for the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.
After the partition of the British Indian Army, which was then the armed forces of present-day India and Pakistan in 1947, Brigadier Francis Ingall, an officer of the then British Indian Army, was selected by the Commander-in-Chief of India, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, to serve as the first commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy. Ingall chose the vacant site at Kakul for the academy. He structured the PMA based on the model of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and requested a regimental sergeant major from the Brigade of Guards to assist with training.
Ingall received support from several former British Indian Army officers who had transferred to the Pakistan Army, including Lieutenant-Colonel Attiqur Rahman and Major S.G. Mehdi M.C., the first PMA adjutant and founder of Qasim company, who later commanded the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army.
When the dispute over the accession of Jammu and Kashmir led to armed conflict between India and Pakistan in late 1947, Ingall adapted the Academy's training to the conditions faced by the Pakistan Army in order to prepare new officers to a largely mountainous and open terrain and to create a new officer class for Pakistan. Afterwards, Ingall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) after completing his term as commandant in 1950, and later was honoured with his name on Kakul's central lecture theatre, Ingall Hall, constructed years after his departure. [8] He kept in touch with the academy for the rest of his life with various visits, in his last, in November 1997, where he said:
"I have given many addresses from this position here, and from 1948 to 1951, I was very keen on the question of Pakistan and believed in it. I believed what the Quaid-e-Azam preached. I believe in Islam." [9]
A total of 67 cadets (66 Muslims and 1 Christian cadet) arrived from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), India's Military Training counterpart, on 15 October 1947. New cadets for the 1st PMA Long Course (78) and the 1st Graduates Course (63) were selected in Pakistan, and training officially began in January 1948, with 208 cadets starting their training. On 25 January 1948, "The First Pakistan Battalion" was instituted. This battalion has four companies, which were "named after the luminaries of Muslim military history" (e.g., Khalid, Tariq, Qasim, and Salahuddin). In March 1948, the First Battalion "was bestowed with Quaid-e-Azam's patronage as Colonel-in-Chief, and the most coveted claim of being "The Quaid-e-Azam's Own".
Khawaja Nazimuddin gave the Quaid-e-Azam banner to the Pakistan Military Academy on behalf of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The champion company hoists the Quaid-e-Azam banner at each passing-out parade. "Regimental colors presented in 1950 by Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the National Standard in 1961 by General Muhammad Musa, the then-Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, have been some of the honours showered on the Academy, which it has always zealously guarded and kept high in letter and spirit." [10]
The 1965 war led to the expansion of the Academy, with the establishment of the second battalion at the Academy in December 1965. This battalion consisted of four companies, called Ghaznavi, Babur, Aurangzeb, and Tipu. In early 1989, the third battalion of the Academy was founded. The third battalion's four companies are Haider, Ubaida, Saad, and Hamza.
Former COAS, General Raheel Sharif, inaugurated the 4th Pakistan Battalion at PMA on 10 October 2016. [11]
Physical Requirements
GCs (Gentlemen Cadets) are required to pass various physical tests, which increase with promotion to the next term. The basic requirement for cadets of the first term is to be able to complete a one-mile run (1.6 kilometers) in six minutes and thirty seconds. In the second term, cadets are required to complete a one-mile run in six minutes and fifteen seconds. For the third term, the one-mile run time is six minutes, and most fourth-term cadets are required to complete a one-mile run within six minutes. Tests include push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, rope test, a five-mile run, an assault course, and the acid test. These tests evaluate the stamina and strength of a cadet.
In the "acid test," cadets begin by traversing a mountain while carrying logs on their shoulders. This is followed by a 14.5 km run in full gear to an obstacle course. Those completing the course are given five rounds with which to hit a target at a distance of 22 m. [12]
LCs (Lady Cadets) are also required to pass physical efficiency tests, similar to those of GCs, but the standards are slightly lower, considering their physique. The basic requirement for all LCs is to run one mile (1.6 km) in 10 minutes or less. Other tests include push-ups, sit-ups, bar hanging, assault course, and an exercise of Qiyadat with GCs.
There are several training exercises for cadets, which include:
- First term: Kick Off, Saluting Tests, Cross Country, Sang e Bunyad, Yarmuk, Path Finder, and the GCs are required to spend three minutes in the Boxing Ring with another opponent following a lengthy training period.
- Second term: T.M Raiders, Panipat, and Assault Course are also added as a part of the PT Tests: Qiyadat and the Acid Test
Courses
There are five types of courses (or curricular plans) that run parallel to each other. The types of courses are:
PMA Long Course
The PMA Long Course is for regular commissioned officers of combat and combat support arms & services. The Long Course has a duration of two years, which is divided into four terms of six months each. After the 2-year training period Cadets pass out as 2nd Lieutenants.
Technical Cadet Course (TCC)
Candidates who wish to join the army as an engineer apply for this course. Candidates are required to have completed 12 years of academic education, including courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Candidates who are successful in all tests conducted for selection are then sent to a NUST institution for a Bachelor of Engineering degree, depending on the field they choose:
After completing their Bachelor of Engineering degree, the E-Cadets are sent to [13] Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for one year of military training, after which they are commissioned as captains in their respective units
Integrated Course (IC)
To be eligible for this course, a candidate must have attained 16–18 years of academic education with coursework in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Candidates who pass the initial and GHQ Selection Board tests conducted by the army are sent to the Army Medical College for MBBS or for Bachelor of Dental Surgery, after which they go through a Basic Military Training at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, for 22 weeks. Apart from GCs of AM College, IC accepts cadets who are willing to join EME, Signals, RVFC, and Army Education Corps with a minimum master's degree in several fields. The IC has a duration of six months. Cadets graduate as Captains.
PMA Lady Cadet's Course (LCC)
'The Lady Cadet's Course' was introduced in November 2006 [14] and is designed for qualified women who are professionals in their respective fields. The course is taken by FA-qualified ladies who are sound professionals in their fields. The lady cadets undergo a training period of six months and pass out as Captains in the supporting arms of the Pakistan Army.
