Navy chief praises PN’s capabilities
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KARACHI: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi on Saturday witnessed manoeuvres carried out in the Arabian Sea in connection with the ongoing Maritime Exercise Seaspark 2018.
Upon his arrival onboard a Pakistan Navy ship in the North Arabian Sea off Ormara, Admiral Abbasi was received by Commander of Pakistan Fleet, Rear Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) Rear Admiral Faisal Rasul Lodhi was also present.
The naval chief was given detailed briefing on conduct of the exercise and deployment of PN assets out at sea — including ships, submarines, aircraft, UAVs, special forces and marines — along with elements of Pakistan Marine Security Agency and Pakistan Air Force.
Expressing satisfaction over the operational capabilities of Pakistan Navy, Admiral Abbasi said the prevalent challenges necessitated eternal vigilance and readiness to safeguard the national maritime interests against external and internal threats.
He interacted with the crew of the ships and lauded their professionalism and dedication while performing the duty of defending maritime frontiers of the motherland.
Later, Admiral Abbasi attended operational briefings of Force Commanders at PNS Bahadur to review and validate their deployment/war plans.
The exercise will afford valuable opportunity to enhance combat readiness of Pakistan Navy and interoperability with its sister services. Besides enhancement of operational preparedness, the exercise will focus on defence of the coast and effective response against emerging non-traditional threats emanating from sea, including maritime component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar port.
Pakistan Navy is a combat-ready multidimensional force that is committed to protecting national maritime interests at all costs. The exercise Seaspark 2018 would therefore provide impetus to Pakistan’s resolve of maintaining peace, security and lawful order at sea.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018
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