KARACHI: Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiquar, along with an embarked helicopter, recently visited Ports­mouth, United Kingdom, as part of the Navy’s overseas deployment.

According to information reaching here, the ship was warmly welcomed by officials from the Royal Navy, the deputy high commissioner and the defence and national adviser of Pakistan in the United Kingdom.

After the port visit, PNS Zulfiquar participated in the third PN-RN Bilateral Naval Exercise (White Star-III) with Royal Navy Ship HMS Tyne off Portsmouth. The exercise enc­ompassed advanced maritime man­oeuvres, including maritime int­e­r­diction operations (MIO) Boar­ding and Force Protection drills. The exercise was aimed at enhancing military cooperation through naval eng­a­gement and augmenting interoperability between the two navies.

During its stay at the port, Mission Commander Commodore Syed Rizwan Khalid, along with Commanding Officer Captain Rao Ahmed Imran Anwar called on Commander Naval Base Portsmouth Cdre J.J. Bailey. During the interaction, matters of mutual interest were discussed and contributions of Pak­istan Navy to regional peace and maritime security were acknowledged.

The Mission Commander also conveyed good wishes from the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammed Amjad Khan Niazi for the people of the UK in general and Royal Navy in particular.

The Mission Commander extended his gratitude for the wholehearted support provided in making the ship’s stay comfortable.

The High Commissioner of Pakistan to United Kingdom, Moazzam Ali Khan, visited PNS Zulfiquar and interacted with the Mission Commander.

The visit of PNS Zulfiquar to the United Kingdom will foster navy-to-navy relations and will go a long way in strengthening diplomatic and military relations between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2021