The biennial exercise commenced with a formal flag-hoisting
ceremony, followed by the cutting of a cake by senior representatives of the
participating navies.
A message from the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed
Ashraf, was read by Commodore Omar Farooq during the ceremony.
The naval chief welcomed the participants and highlighted
that the exercise, which began in 2007, has now become a regular biennial
feature, bringing together regional and extra-regional navies to foster a
secure and conducive maritime environment.
He emphasized the Pakistan Navy’s role as a key stakeholder
in the Arabian Sea and its initiatives to enhance regional maritime security,
including Regional Maritime Security Patrols.
He further stated that in recognition of the international
community’s trust in its efforts to promote peace and stability at sea,
Pakistan Navy has introduced the Aman Dialogue this year as an adjunct to the
exercise.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Fleet Commander Rear
Admiral Abdul Munib underscored the force’s contributions to collaborative maritime
security and the exercise’s significance in enhancing interoperability among
the participants.
Rear Admiral Munib praised the participating countries for
supporting Pakistan’s commitment to peace and maritime security and expressed
the hope that the friendships fostered during the exercise would continue and
grow.
The ninth edition of the exercise will see the participation
of 12 naval ships, some of which have already arrived at the Karachi port while
others are on their way.
China, with its Plans Baotou-133 and Plans Gaoyouhu, and the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with its HMS Jazan and HMS Hail ships, are the nations
participating with two vessels each.
The other vessels include UAE’s Abu Dhabi (CVT) P-191,
Malaysia’s KD Terengganu-174, Japan’s JS Murasame, Sri Lanka’s SLNS Vijayabahu,
Indonesia’s KRI Bung Tomo-357, Iran’s Jamaran, Bangladesh’s BNS Somdura Joy,
USA’s Lewis B. Puller and Oman’s RNOV Sadh. Meanwhile, Turkiye is participating
with one aircraft.
There are also a number of special operation forces and
observers taking part in the inaugural Aman Dialogue scheduled for February 09
to 10.
Bangladesh’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nazmul Hassan, who
arrived with his naval fleet, held meetings with Pakistan’s top military
leadership on Friday in another sign of the improved bilateral ties between the
two nations.
Admiral Hassan, who will also attend the inaugural Aman
Dialogue on maritime security, called on the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Committee, Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim
Munir.
He also held a bilateral meeting with Admiral Ashraf at the
Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
The meetings focused on the evolving regional security
landscape and mutual strategic interests, particularly in maritime
collaboration.
Both militaries explored avenues to strengthen defence ties,
including joint naval exercises, training programs, and exchange visits.
Adm Hassan’s visit marks the second high-level engagement
between the Bangladeshi Armed Forces and Pakistani military leadership in
recent months.
On January 14, Lt Gen S.M. Kamrul Hassan, the principal
staff officer of Bangladesh’s Armed Forces Division, led a military
delegation to Pakistan, where both sides agreed to bolster defence
cooperation and collaborate on regional peace efforts.
Observers see these developments as a shift in
Bangladesh-Pakistan relations after years of estrangement.
Bangladesh’s participation in Pakistan’s multilateral naval
exercise is considered a major step forward in military cooperation.
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