Command & Staff College Quetta

About C&S College

General

The Command and Staff College, Quetta is a modern military institution recognised the world over. It is a reputed seat of learning for warfare and allied staff aspects with a student body of 362 officers, which include nearly 30 officers from over 23 allied nations. The Allied Officers form an important segment of the College community, adding colour and giving a cosmopolitan touch to life at the College.

  The Command and Staff College is dedicated to provide the highest standards of training, education and professional excellence. The faculty commits itself to the primary goal of preparing students to shoulder higher responsibilities in a multi-dimensional environment in peace and war. 

  The student is made to understand and apply principles - analytically, logically, speedily and decisively. He should be able to communicate his reasoning and decisions with ease, supervise implementation and ensure execution. To achieve these goals, there are about 52 members on the faculty at any one time making an instructor to student ratio of about 1:7, which is amongst the highest in the world. 

    The College provides an active and eventful campus that is unparalleled among Pakistan Army training institutions. The curriculum is progressive and challenging, with a balanced injection of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that demand total commitment from the officers and the active cooperation of their families. To ease this task, the College provides them with an enviable level of comfort, administrative support and recreational facilities. This healthy interaction and involvement helps in maintaining a highly conducive campus environment that nurtures in the officers and their families - a course espirit de corps that identifies them for the rest of their service life. Thus, the Staff College year begins on an expectant note, progresses on a fast pitch and demanding tempo, and ends on nostalgia and lasting bonds.

Educational philosophy

The Command and Staff College is dedicated to the highest standards of training, education and professional excellence. Student officers and the faculty commit themselves to the primary goal of preparing officers for multi-dimensional duties, with pre-eminence to operational training. 

   The curriculum is designed to develop a student officer's reasoning and decision making abilities, character, expression and team work. The students are trained to identify a problem, determine the basic issues involved, obtain necessary information for its solution and formulate a befitting response. The development of the ability to take sound and timely decisions in any given situation after considering relevant facts and applying the concerned principles, is the focal point of the educational philosophy. The curriculum also focuses on the improvement of thinking, reasoning and communication skills of the student. Particular attention is paid to the development of intellectual honesty, integrity, professional values and standards.

Objectives

The Command and Staff College prepares its students not only to handle and employ their outfits confidently, but more importantly, provides them a broad outlook and intellectual depth to deal efficiently with more complex modes and methods of warfare under challenging leadership environment. At the end of the year, our graduate should:-

    

*	Possess a deep insight into the employment of forces in tactical operations under prevailing battlefield environment.
*	Be able to confidently and imaginatively handle all operational and administrative staff functions and prepare his outfit to cohesively perform its challenging peace and war time roles.
*	Be able to discern the place of tactical plans within the ambit of operational strategy and joint services warfare.
*	Be able to thoughtfully apply modern leadership and management skills within our socio-religious setting.
*	Cultivate interest in broadening his vision, professional base and outlook and be able to research wide ranging issues of professional import.
*	Be able to comprehend the intricacies of international and regional political order, and its compulsions and implications.
*	Develop the acumen to identify the central issue of military and general problems and present clear and innovative options for their resolution.

 

Selection Criteria

The Pakistani student officers who attend the Course must meet the following prerequisites and qualifications:-

a.	Rank/Service: Captains/Majors with 8-12 years service.
b.	Courses : Respective arm/service Mid Career Course and Promotion Examinations.
c.	Selection Criteria: Based on merit list of a competitive examination, service record and professional standing.
d.	Civil: Preferably Bachelor of Arts/Science to qualify for the award of Bachelor of Science (Honours) War Studies degree from the University of Balochistan.

Location

The Command and Staff College is located at Quetta,   the capital city of Balochistan, at the entrance to the   picturesque Urak Valley. To the north, south-east and   south-west stand the lonely sentinels of 'TAKATU'   'MURDARGHAR' and 'CHILTAN', rising to heights of   930 metres (10,000 feet) to 1020 metres (11,000 feet). Stark,   bare and ostensibly inhospitable citadels of sheer rock   structure, but enchanting, in a strange way, to the   primeval   memory of mankind. Lower than the   'MURDARGHAR'   and closer to the Staff College, the   SLEEPING BEAUTY   displays her charms,   undiminished by the ravages of that   dreaded hangman,   "Time". This hill feature takes its   name from its   uncanny   resemblance to a lady in repose.   She is at her   best when   the first winter snow throws her in   sharp   contrast   against  the skyline.

About Quetta

Quetta, the fruit garden of Pakistan and the capital of Balochistan is the legendary stronghold of the western frontier. It sits at 1,680 metres (5,500 feet) above sea level.

   Quetta is one of the most important military stations of the country, occupying a vital and strategic position on account of the fact that the boundaries of Iran and Afghanistan meet here, and the Bolan Pass lies on important lines of communications. It is connected by rail with Lahore, (727 miles) away, with Peshawar (986 miles), and Karachi (536 miles). A new road connects it with Karachi through Khuzdar, Makran and Las Bela. It is also connected with Zahidan (Duzdab), Iran, by railway. Quetta tribespeople are strong and silent in their bearing, they are known for their friendliness and hospitality. To make a visitor comfortable is part of their tradition.

History

Quetta, derived from Kwatta, meaning fort in Pushtu, no doubt is a natural fort, surrounded as it is by imposing hills on all sides. The encircling hills have the resounding names of Chiltan, Takatu, Murdar and Zarghun. 

   Quetta was first mentioned in the 11th century when it was captured by Mahmud of Ghazni on one of his invasions of the Subcontinent. In 1543 the Moghul emperor Humayun rested here on his retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son Akbar until he returned two years later. The Moghuls ruled Quetta until 1556, when it was taken by the Persians, only to be retaken by Akbar in 1595.

The powerful Khans of Kalat held the fort from 1730. In 1828 the first westerner to visit Quetta described it as a mud-walled fort surrounded by 300 mud houses. Although occupied briefly by the British during the First Afghan War in 1839, it was not until 1876 that Quetta came under permanent British control and Robert Sandeman was made political agent in Balochistan. Since Partition the Population of Quetta has increased dramatically. 

Because of its military base and trading activities, and the introduction of commercial fruit farming, Quetta District can now support half a million people. Quetta, before the great earth-quake of 31 May, 1935, was a bright and bustling city, having multi storied buildings, it was almost completely destroyed in this great earthquake and was razed to the ground in the small hours of the morning of that fateful day, when about 40,000 souls perished within the twinkling of an eye. After the great calamity that overtook Quetta, houses are generally single storeyed and quake proof. These houses are built with bricks and reinforced concrete. The structure is generally of lighter material. Incidentally, the bricks of Quetta have a yellowish tinge unlike the red variety of Sindh and the Punjab.

Climate

Quetta has a dry and healthy climate with no factory chimneys to pollute its fresh and invigorating mountain air. Winter sets in by November and lasts till end February. Snowfall is light, though it is not unusual to have one as late as March. Quetta winters are severe and minimum temperatures of minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) are not uncommon. Providentially the College is closed during the peak winter period. 

   Quetta can boast of the best spring and autumn in Pakistan. Although summers are warm, the maximum temperature rarely exceeds 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). The evenings are extremely pleasant, characterised by a cool breeze that springs to life an hour or two after sunset. Fans are required during the months of May through August or sometimes September.

Hanna Lake

Jade waters that form a colourful contrast to  the barren, ochre coloured mountainside. It  nestles in the hills ten km (six miles) east of   Quetta, a startling turquoise pool within bare  brown surroundings. There is a lakeside  restaurant with picnic tables shaded by pine  trees. At one end, the irrigation dam rises out of  the depths like battlements of a fort. It is very  attractive for holiday makers, are crowded with  hikers and campers in holidays. You can hire a  boat and paddle on the lake and round the  island in the middle.

Urak Tangi Valley

To the left of Hanna Lake, about two km (one mile) away, and  right for the eight-km (five-mile), there is another picnic spot- the  environs of Urak Tangi Valley, which is known as the fruit  garden of Quetta which is full of orchards in April. Cherry,  apricot, apple and peach trees form a tunnel of blossom over the  road. Urak, at the top end of the valley, is a village of square,  mud houses roofed with roots and mud laid across wooden  beams. The village is surrounded on three sides by the Zarghun  range of hills. A stream rushes down from Urak Tangi, a narrow  gorge in the hills; a short walk will take you up onto the lower  slopes where partridges call among the rocks and you can look  down on the whole valley. In the little water mill beside the  stream two round stones grind wheat into flour.

Pishin Valley

About 50 km, from Quetta is the valley of Pishin,  which is surrounded by thousands of acres of vineyards  and orchards, made by boring holes into rocks to bring  to the surface the deep water. The rich harvest of apples,  grapes, plums, peaches and apricots is loaded at Yaru  railway station, seven miles from Pishin.

Bund Khushdil Khan

After 16 km from Pishin is the man made lake Bund   Khushdil Khan. Its cool gently rippling water attracts many visitors for duck shooting in early winters.

Fort

It is the citadel, which gave Quetta its name. A military stronghold, inaccessible to visitors.

Archaeological Museum

Has exhibits from the pre-historic era to this century.

Hazar Ganji Park

Situated 1800 metres above sea level is this unique national park in the mountains, 20 km south-west of Quetta.

Children's Amusement Park

Located within the garrison, it provides modern amusement facilities for children and even grown ups. It provides good quality fun rides of international standards.

Ziarat Valley

The main hill station of Balochistan, 120 km from Quetta at  an altitude of 2450 metres, among ancient Juniper forests.  Made famous by summer villa of the Quaid-e-Azam, which is  still maintained and houses his personal belongings.

Bolan Pass

A famous 87 km long pass, it is the only road and rail route  which links Quetta valley with lower Sindh.

Sibi

Largest settlement in Balochistan outside Quetta lies at the mouths of Harnai and Bolan passes. Once a year it celebrates a well attended Sibi Mela.

Kalat 

Seat of the once mighty Khans of Kalat since 15th Century; is located 143 km south of Quetta.

Khojak Pass

It is 110 km from Quetta and extends to four km, links Chaman with Quetta and has the longest railway tunnel of the Sub-continent, built in 1889.