Afghan soldiers to receive training in Pakistan

Afghan army soldiers will receive training in Pakistan for the first time in a sign of growing military-to-military contacts, the Afghan embassy said on Thursday.

A group of six Afghan National Army cadets arrived in Islamabad on Thursday to join Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) at Abbottabad for an 18-month long course, Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai, said.

This is the first ever group of Afghan National Army cadets to attend the PMA.

The ambassador welcomed the cadets at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad upon their arrival from Kabul.

"These six young cadets, selected from among the best in Afghan National Army, represent the steady and solid quantitative as well as qualitative growth and development of Afghanistan's national security and defense 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 in return enjoy the strong backing and support of the entire Afghan nation," said Ambassador Mosazai.

The arrival of the six Afghan cadets coincides with a six-day visit to Pakistan by a high-level five-member Afghan military delegation led by Maj Gen Nematullah Khushiwal, Director General of Training, Education and Doctrine, Afghan National Army.

"The induction of these young Afghan cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy is an important step in both countries' efforts to strengthen, broaden and deepen security and particularly military-to-military relations and cooperation in all areas," the Afghan ambassador said.

Highlighting their role as ambassadors of their country in their own individual right, Ambassador Mosazai asked the cadets to establish close and long-lasting ties of professional and personal friendship with their Pakistani counterparts as well as with students from other friendly countries attending PMA.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had offered training to Afghan forces during his visit to Kabul.