Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the government is focusing on indigenisation in the field of defense production.
The premier was present as the chief guest at the induction ceremony of the fourth F-22P frigate, Pakistan Navy ship (PNS) Aslat, in the Pakistan Naval fleet.
The prime minister congratulated the nation on this historic achievement and commended the efforts of engineers and workers of the PN, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) and China Shipbuilding and Trading Company (CSTC).
He also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for their continuous support during all phases of the project.
PNS Aslat is the first F-22P frigate of the PN which has been built at the KSEW in collaboration with the CSTC.
The ship was commissioned on April 17 and inducted in the PN fleet on Tuesday after proving its combat readiness.
Previously, three F-22P frigates, namely PNS Shamsheer, PNS Saif and PNS Zulfiqar have been built and delivered by China, and are an integral part of the PN fleet; a testament to the Sino-Pak friendship.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer, Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Khan Hasham Bin Siddique, Managing Director KSEW Rear Admiral Syed Hassan Nasir Shah and a large number of civil and military dignitaries also attended the ceremony.
