The H-8 College

The first training I attended was at H-8 College, near Peshawar Mor. I had to go there because I’d done my matriculation in Bahrain and moved back to Pakistan, missing the first year of training. I had to make it up during a month-long session at H-8.

It was a fun month; school was closed, so there wasn’t much activity other than our training, which was mostly comprised of people who had missed the first round for various reasons. I remember there were constant transportation strikes in Islamabad at the time. That meant no buses to take me from H-8 all the way home to F-10. I ended up walking that entire distance many days. Nowadays, that sounds like a terrible idea, but back then, it was just a long walk in hard military boots and khaki clothes that weren’t well-ventilated. It was difficult, but it left an everlasting memory.

I also remember someone introducing me to the H-8 cafeteria, saying, “This is where a student from a political party shot someone.” I think someone may have even died. It was one of those schools where political activity by student organizations was allowed, unlike our high school, which didn’t permit it.

Company Commander in F-7/3

The second training took place at my own school in F-7/3. This time, it was with my classmates—people I had grown accustomed to and become friends with, though not many of those bonds remained after moving to America.

I ended up becoming a Company Commander, which meant I was in charge of about 80 boys during the parade. I shouted commands like “Right turn,” “Left turn,” “About turn,” and “Forward march”—all in Urdu, of course. Those commands are still ingrained in my mind; I remember them by heart.

A Gone Era

The NCC doesn’t exist anymore, and the current generation will never truly understand what it was. Maybe it was a bonding experience, or perhaps just an interesting way to get a taste of the military lifestyle.

One highlight was going to a shooting range in Rawalpindi. The only thing I remember is that we used the World War II M1 Garand. We had to memorize its specs for the exam—specifically that it was an air-cooled rifle. Just a funny memory, I guess.