Cadet College Hasanabdal: A prestigious military institution in Pakistan where David Headley first encountered Tahawwur Rana

Tahawwur Rana, a significant figure in the conspiracy behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that resulted in the deaths of 166 individuals, is set to arrive in New Delhi from the United States on Thursday, April 10.

A former doctor in the Pakistani military, Rana is accused of assisting David Headley in acquiring business visas to enter India in 2006. Headley subsequently conducted reconnaissance on potential targets in Mumbai for the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence in the United States.

Rana and Headley forged a close friendship in the 1970s while attending Cadet College Hasanabdal (CCH). This institution is renowned as one of Pakistan's premier military preparatory schools, with many influential figures among its alumni.

Similar to Dehradun’s RIMC

Founded in 1952, Cadet College Hasanabdal was the first quasi-military boarding school of its kind in Pakistan.

The concept for CCH was developed by General Muhammad Ayub Khan, who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army and later became the country’s second President in 1958. The goal was to create an elite institution that would supply candidates to the Pakistani Services Academies, modeled after the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun.

In 1960, the school relocated to its current campus in Hasanabdal, located approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. This area is also home to Gurdwara Panja Sahib, a significant pilgrimage site in Sikhism.

CCH was designed based on the model of prestigious British boarding schools and had British principals until 1971. Its inaugural principal, Sir Hugh Catchpole, had previously taught at the RIMC (then known as the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College).

Pipeline for the Pakistani armed forces

CCH accepts cadets from grades 8 to 12, who can choose to take either the SSC and HSSC examinations from the Federal Board of Islamabad or the GCE O Level and A Level examinations from the Cambridge board. The college maintains an enrollment of approximately 600 students, with each batch consisting of around 120 cadets.

According to the information available on CCH’s website, the training provided is designed to equip cadets for service in the Armed Forces; however, they are free to pursue any career path they choose. Nonetheless, the institution is primarily recognized for producing cadets who ascend to high-ranking positions within the Pakistani military.

The website highlights, “In the battlefield, the alumni of this College have demonstrated remarkable bravery, often sacrificing their lives for their beloved Motherland. A total of 18 alumni have been awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat!” This honor is the third highest military award in Pakistan.

Notable graduates include former Chiefs of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and Muhammad Zakaullah, current Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, former Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, and former Chief of Air Staff Abbas Khattak, among others.

Regarding the early lives of Headley and Rana, Headley, originally named Daood Sayed Gilani, was born in Washington, D.C. in 1960 to a Pakistani father and an American mother. His father, Sayed Salim Gilani, was a prominent Pakistani diplomat and broadcaster.

Shortly after his birth, Headley’s family moved to Pakistan, where he was raised in a strongly nationalistic atmosphere. After completing his education at CCH, he returned to the United States at the age of 17 and adopted his mother’s maiden name.

Rana was born in Pakistan in 1961. Following his graduation from CCH, he served as a captain in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps. Eventually, he left the military and moved to Canada, where he is now a citizen.

There is limited public information regarding the time Rana and Headley spent at CCH. A press release from the NIA in 2011 stated, “Both David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana graduated from the Hassan Abdal Military College in Pakistan and both expressed a desire to engage in Jihad against India and Western nations.”