Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Engineers Centre Risalpur on Tuesday. The COAS installed Lt-Gen Javed Mahmood Bukhari as Colonel Commandant of Corps of Engineers. The COAS pinned the badges of rank at the ceremony. Lt-Gen Javed Mahmood Bukhari has the honour to be the sword of honour of his PMA Course awarded to the best cadet and has an extraordinary record of service and contributions to the service. The general served as brigade commander as well as GOC Swat. A large number of serving and retired officers attended the ceremony.
While talking to the audience, the COAS praised contributions of Engineers Corps towards nation-building, natural calamities and operations. He said Engineers Corps of Pakistan Army has much to take pride in their contributions towards defence and development of the motherland.
General Bajwa also visited Abbottabad and witnessed the final of 5th COAS Young Soldiers Inter-Central PACES (Physical Agility and Combat Efficiency System) Championship at Baloch Regimental Centre Abbottabad. The COAS also awarded prizes to the winners.
A total of 532 contestants from 23 regimental centres participated in this event. Engineer Center team won the 5th Army PACES Championship while Baloch Centre team won the 2nd Position in the competition. Sapper Sanat Ullah won the overall best player award of the competition by securing 2798 marks and sepoy Muhammad Adil secured overall 2nd position by securing 2785 marks.
In individual matches, sepoy Muhammad Rizwan Abbas secured the first position in 3.2 km run by covering the distance in 10.7 minutes. Sepoy Muhammad Yaqoob did 102 pull-ups to clinch the 1st position in pull-ups match. Sapper Majid Ali secured the first position in sit up match by doing 1131 sit-ups. Sepoy Muhammad Adil did 1457 push-ups to secure the first position and Recruit Muhammad Asees Iqbal won the first position by completing combat efficiency test in 49.22 seconds and breaking the previous international Chinese record of 50.07 seconds.
While speaking on the occasion, the COAS appreciated participants of the competition and trainers for achieving very high standards of physical fitness and professionalism. The COAS said that Pakistan Army was the most battle-hardened army in the world and it was primarily due to the highest standard of physical fitness, professionalism and motivation of our officers and men who face the challenges dauntlessly. Earlier, on arrival at Abbottabad, the COAS was received by Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) Inspector General Lt-Gen Hidayat-ur-Rehman and 10 Corps Lt-Gen Commander Nadeem Raza.