Evoking honour in humans to motivate them to go to any extent in performing tasks has been an age-long practice that was exploited by monarchies as well as republics.
Using the sword as a symbol of distinction is not new as the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave his own sword, Zulfiqar, to Hazrat Ali (RA) in the battle of Uhud, dignifying it as a Sword of Honour. In Pakistan where there is an acute paucity of records highlighting career trajectories of professionals in all significant fields of activity, the army career progression is frequently recorded and quite a good deal of it is publicly accessible. The Sword of Honour is the highest award given to the best performing cadet at the graduation ceremony when they are commissioned into regular ranks. Right from the beginning it rewards all its ranks, particularly trainee cadets at its premier officer training outfit, the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul.
The Pakistan Army adheres to healthy traditions of personnel management, predictably in respect of its officer corps, the lynchpin of military engagement.
