24 March 2004	Wednesday	02 Safar 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, March 23: Pakistan would join a UK-led seven-nation naval task force, which would patrol the Arabian Sea as part of the ongoing war on terrorism.

The step would allow 'innocent passage' to the coalition ships to move through the country's territorial waters, sources told Dawn. Talking to Dawn, Commodore Shahid Nabil, the spokesperson for Pakistan Navy, said under the plan Pakistan Navy would get an opportunity to patrol with the "Maritime Coalition ships the international waters of the Arabian Sea".

Sources said modalities for the patrol plan were worked out during the recent visit of British naval chief Admiral Alan West. During his visit, the British naval chief called on President Gen Pervez Musharraf, met Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Aziz Khan and held an in-depth meeting with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah on March 18.

The decision to "expand the cooperation" was taken during a meeting between the two naval chiefs to "review the existing state of cooperation" between the Royal British Navy and the Pakistan Navy. President Musharraf accorded approval to the plan for enhanced cooperation, officials said.

The sources said under the plan, coalition forces could actively pursue enemy targets (most likely Al-Qaeda) trying to escape or passing through the territorial waters of Pakistan.

The move is also linked with the Proliferation Security Initiative supported by the US and UK which calls for checking of suspected maritime traffic for weapons of mass destruction or dual-use technologies on board ships.

When asked if the coalition ships would be allowed to enter the country's territorial waters, the PN spokesperson said: "No foreign ships have been permitted to patrol inside the territorial waters of Pakistan."

However, in response to another question, Commodore Nabil said under the international law, ships of other nations could take innocent passage through the territorial waters of Pakistan if they did not have any hostile intentions.

The PN spokesperson said interdiction of suspected ships within the country's territorial waters would remain the sole responsibility of the Pakistan Navy and other maritime security agencies of the country.

Pakistan's territorial waters limits extend 12 nautical miles into the Arabian Sea as per the international law, the officials said. The sources said the decision to undertake joint patrolling was necessitated by apprehensions that terrorists could escape through sea routes as the coalition forces launched a renewed hunt for the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the region.

Immediately after Sept 11, 2001, Pakistan allowed the US Navy to use Pasni as its base - a fact which was denied at that time by the Pakistani officials but subsequently confirmed by the US Centcom.

According to the Centcom data, "the Coalition Naval Operations at Pasni were the largest amphibious operations in size, duration and depth that the Marine Corps had conducted since the Korean War".

"In all, 8,000 marines, 330 vehicles and over 1,350 tons of equipment and logistics were off loaded at the beach and later flown to Kandahar from Pasni," the Centcom said about the Operation Enduring Freedom.

The US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit was based at Pasni at that time, the sources said. The US ships deputed in the Arabian Sea as part of the Operation Enduring Freedom at that time included nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, supported by ten US and Canadian ships and submarines, more than 80 tactical aircraft and a total of 8,500 sailors and Marines.

The US aircraft carrier was in addition to the three aircraft carrier groups - USS Carl Vinson, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Kitty Hawk - which were anchored near the Pakistani coast to help conduct air operations against targets in Afghanistan.

In addition to the aircraft carriers, other ships and submarines in the battle group included guided missile cruisers USS Lake Champlain and USS Port Royal, guided missile destroyer USS Decatur, guided missile frigate USS Jarrett, submarines USS Jefferson City and the USS Salt Lake City.

During Sept 2002, Pakistan Navy's ships Tipu Sultan and Shahjahan participated in the "Exercise Inspired Siren" along with the US guided missile frigate and ships.

The exercise was aimed at enhancing interoperability and tactical proficiency of the Pakistani and US forces. According to the Asian Development Bank, the US is currently paying Pakistan $97 million every month for logistical support.

The sources said the coalition forces had compiled a database of suspected maritime traffic and expected Pakistan as a coalition partner to provide "innocent passage" to the ships of the joint naval task force led by the British Navy.

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).