KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said that the hosting of Aman exercises by Pakistan Navy was a clear manifestation of Pakistan’s commitment towards regional peace and stability, embodied in its motto ‘Together for Peace’, bringing the navies of the East and West on a common platform for the good of global commons.
He was addressing the delegation heads of multinational naval exercise Aman 2019 here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Karachi AIG Dr Ameer Shaikh and head of Pakistan Navy delegation Commodore Zafar Iqbal. Heads of delegates from different 40 countries were present on the occasion.
“Pakistan defines the northern shores of the Arabian Sea and is located at the crossroads between Arabian, Persian, Central Asian (Turkish), Chinese and Indian civilisation. Pakistan, thus has a vital role to play in this region,” said Shah.
Talking about the Aman exercise, the chief minister said that Pakistan Navy had been hosting the multi-national Aman Exercise biennially since 2007, which had a global outlook.
He added that the Pakistan Navy desired to seek enhanced interoperability between regional and extra-regional navies as a means of promoting peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond with the exercise.
“This exercise also provides a unique training opportunity to develop and practice response tactics which helps participants foster and sustain the mutual relationships that are conducive to ensure the safe and secured sea lanes on the world’s oceans,” he said.
Shah said that the Sea Lines Of Communications (SLOC) of Arabian Sea needed to be protected for benefit of the world. “Threats like terrorism, drugs smuggling, human trafficking and disasters require international collaboration to secure the Arabian Sea,” he said while adding that drills during times of peace prepared the forces for real conflict situations.
The chief minister said that the role and contribution of the Pakistan Navy were a forerunner in the quest for collaborative security in this region.
“Pakistan Navy has played a vital role for ensuring a safe passage of cargo ships in the region,” he stated.
Shah prayed that the camaraderie generated herein would grow in the future and bring participating nations closer to the mutual goal of regional peace and prosperity.