Gen Bajwa becomes first Pakistani chief guest at RMA Sandhurst passing out parade

LONDON: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday attended the passing-out parade at the renowned Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom.

COAS General Bajwa became the first Pakistani ever to be the representative of the Queen during the sovereign’s parade at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Apart from UK cadets, 41 international cadets from 26 various 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 (RMAS).

The ceremony attracted military leaders from dozens of countries around 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 by Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Iftikhar Babar and Pakistani High Commission’s military attache Colonel Rana Asif Khan.

The army chief arrived in the United Kingdom on Thursday morning on an official visit.. During the visit, the army chief will also call on the British military leadership.

The army chief had not visited Sandhurst over the last couple of years due to the pandemic, but has been a regular visitor each year since he took over as head of the army.

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) is one of most prestigious military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army’s initial officer training centre.

All British Army 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.

The RMAS was formed on the site of the former Royal Military College in 1947 when it amalgamated with the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. After the end of National Service in the UK and closing of the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in 1972, the RMAS became the sole establishment for male initial officer training in the British Army.

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