Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to enhance maritime partnership at AMAN-25 exercise

This handout photograph, released by Pakistan Navy on December 2, 2024, shows a military helicopter deploying marines onto a naval ship during a military exercise in the Arabian Sea. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Navy)
Short Url
Updated 03 January 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to enhance maritime partnership at AMAN-25 exercise

  • This multinational exercise in Karachi is aimed at promoting peace, enhancing cooperation among regional and global navies
  • The exercise is scheduled to take place from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11 to present a united front against terrorism and maritime crimes

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are united in their commitment to safeguard regional and global waters, using decades of naval collaboration to confront threats and foster stability.

This enduring partnership will take center stage at AMAN-2025, a multinational exercise in Karachi aimed at promoting peace and enhancing cooperation among regional and global navies.

With the participation of Saudi Arabia, the event is scheduled to take place from Feb. 7 to 11 in the capital of Sindh province on the Arabian Sea coast with the aim to also present a united front against terrorism and maritime crimes.

Speaking to Arab News, Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Adm. Naveed Ashraf highlighted the strong bond between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Pakistan Navy, describing it as an “enduring maritime brotherhood.”

“The two navies have several forums for mutual interaction on issues ranging from training to information sharing and logistics. We regularly conduct exercises at sea — foremost being the Naseem Al-Bahr — seminars and training of personnel to enhance the RSNF’s potential to remain a formidable force in the Arabian Gulf and beyond,” Ashraf said.

The admiral underscored the evolution of the AMAN series since its inception in 2007, noting the exponential growth in the level and number of participants, which makes the upcoming edition distinct.

“In the last edition of 2023, Pakistan hosted 50 nations, and this time we expect even more participation from navies across the globe,” he said, adding that the former International Maritime Conference, previously an adjunct to AMAN, has now evolved into the AMAN Dialogue to allow more pragmatic, practitioner-focused discussions between naval leaders from regional and extra-regional navies on maritime security issues.

Ashraf explained how the Pakistan Navy aligns naval strategies and operational practices during such exercises, especially with increasing international participation.

“One of AMAN’s key objectives is to improve interoperability with regional and global navies. For that, we use an operational language that all participants can understand,” he said. “Collective understanding of naval strategies and operational practices is developed during planning phases and conferences held prior to the exercise.”

Emphasizing the role of AMAN-25 in fostering maritime security and stability in the Indian Ocean, he said: “Key objectives of AMAN are to foster regional and extra-regional cooperation to maintain good order at sea, enhance interoperability, act as a bridge between regions, share experiences, understand each other, and exhibit united resolve against terrorism and maritime crimes.”

Ashraf said that the understanding developed during these exercises helps organize collaborative efforts to ensure maritime security.

“In my plain view, AMAN offers a platform to showcase one’s concerns, capabilities, and willingness to cooperate,” he said.

Commenting on the effectiveness of AMAN in addressing piracy, terrorism, and other maritime crimes, Ashraf said that the AMAN Dialogue provides a forum for sharing awareness, experiences, and strategies to counter such threats.

“A significant number of harbor and sea exercises provide opportunities to improve the capacity of participating nations’ teams to combat maritime crimes effectively,” he said.

Discussing the inaugural AMAN Dialogue and its anticipated outcomes, Ashraf noted that the event has evolved from the International Maritime Conference into a practitioner-focused exchange of views.

“The dialogue seeks to promote shared understanding of maritime security issues, challenges confronting the region, and their linkages to the blue economy. It also deliberates on the efficacy of existing mechanisms for maritime cooperation and the need for innovative solutions to address evolving challenges at sea,” he said.

With maritime threats continuing to evolve, the Pakistan Navy employs technological advances to enhance interoperability with regional and extra-regional navies. Ashraf highlighted the transformative effect of technological innovation on naval warfare.

“We are paying focused attention to leveraging technology to achieve better combat readiness. That is the only way to remain effective against evolving threats. Regarding interoperability, we maintain operational linkages and information-sharing mechanisms with many countries through bilateral and multilateral arrangements, such as the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Center,” he said.

Addressing concerns about maritime pollution and climate change, the admiral said that AMAN-25 would prioritize sustainable practices at sea.

“Climate change and maritime pollution are areas of critical concern. These two issues will receive focused attention during AMAN Dialogue discussions,” he said.

On Pakistan Navy’s bilateral and multilateral agreements beyond the exercise, Ashraf said the force has a long history of cooperation with countries worldwide, even before AMAN’s inception in 2007.

“We have bilateral engagements with many navies through expert-level staff talks, training from basic to advanced levels, and exchange visits of key leadership. We became part of the Combined Maritime Forces in 2004 and have significantly contributed to collaborative security at sea,” he said.

Speaking of his vision for future maritime security amid emerging challenges such as cyber threats and artificial intelligence in warfare, Ashraf warned of the risks posed by disruptive technologies falling into the hands of non-state actors.

“I assess that threats at sea will range from ‘low-cost, high-impact’ technology to conventional weapons coupled with significant cyberattacks. That is why I say that future maritime security will greatly depend on collaborative efforts, where early warning will become a decisive factor,” he said.

Ashraf reiterated the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maintaining deterrent capabilities against traditional and non-traditional threats. “Pakistan Navy, envisioned as a technologically adaptive military, will maintain its deterrent capability while also participating in regional and international efforts to maintain stability at sea.”

Highlighting AMAN-25’s focus on securing sea lines of communication, Ashraf emphasized the critical role of the Pakistan Navy in safeguarding these economic lifelines. Recognizing the Indian Ocean as a vital artery for global trade, including energy shipments, he said AMAN provides a platform for practical exercises, professional exchanges, and intellectual discourse on maritime security challenges in the region.

“The significance of sea lines of communication is part of the discussions during AMAN, as we alone depend 95 percent on the sea for our commerce. Regional maritime security patrols and participation in CMF’s task forces signify our role in safeguarding these economic lifelines,” he concluded.

Under the theme “Secure Seas — Prosperous Future,” this year’s AMAN Dialogue will address security challenges in the Indian Ocean, including strategic competition, regional conflicts, and piracy, as well as narco-trafficking, and the use of force by non-state actors.

The exploitation of ocean resources, climate change, and emerging technologies such as AI and unmanned systems are transforming the security landscape, posing risks to global trade and economic development.

The dialogue will focus on key themes such as maritime security in the Indian Ocean, perspectives on maritime security and cooperation, the blue economy, as well as the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

These discussions will emphasize the need for collaboration to ensure a stable and prosperous maritime future.


Pakistani province orders arrest of suspects involved in shooting at Kurram aid convoy

Updated 8 sec ago
Follow

Pakistani province orders arrest of suspects involved in shooting at Kurram aid convoy

  • Unidentified men on Saturday fired at aid convoy traveling toward Kurram district rocked by sectarian and tribal clashes
  • Participants of high-level meeting chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister vow not to show militants any mercy 

PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has ordered the immediate arrest of suspects involved in the recent shooting at an aid convoy en route to the northwestern Kurram district, which has been rocked by sectarian and tribal clashes in recent weeks, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said on Sunday. 

Saturday’s gun attack was carried out by unidentified men near Bagan, a tense locality in the district’s center, as Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javedullah Mehsud and other officials led an aid convoy to Kurram, leaving the top officials and four security men injured.

Kurram, a northwestern district of around 600,000 people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been rocked by tribal and sectarian clashes since Nov. 21 when gunmen attacked a convoy of Shia passengers, killing 52.

The attack sparked further violence and blockade of a main road connecting Kurram’s main town of Parachinar with the provincial capital of Peshawar, causing medicine, food and fuel shortages in the area, as casualties surged to 136.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held a meeting with senior provincial officials on Saturday night to take stock of the situation in Kurram after the incident, the CM Office said in a statement. 

“People involved in the firing should be handed over to the law,” the statement said. “A first information report against all suspects involved in the shooting should be registered after which they should be immediately arrested.”

The statement said that after a peace agreement between the warring factions in Kurram, the responsibility for its violation falls on the people of the area. Participants of the meeting also decided to fix bounties on militants’ heads to eliminate them. 

“No mercy will be shown to any terrorist nor will those who aid them be spared,” it added. 

KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif said on Saturday that Mehsud’s condition was out of danger. The official was leading a convoy of 17 trucks, which were carrying tents, blankets, medical kits, tarpaulins, solar lamps and sleeping bags when the attack occurred.

Kurram police spokesman Riaz Khan told Arab News that the attack injured DC Mehsud, his police guard and three members of the Frontier Corps (FC) paramilitary force.

Saturday’s gun attack came days after a grand jirga, or council of political and tribal elders formed by the KP provincial government, brokered a peace agreement between the warring Shia and Sunni tribes, following weeks of efforts.

Under the peace agreement signed on Wednesday, both sides had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons to the authorities within two weeks, but the attack on the aid convoy has once again cast a cloud on peace in the restive district.

According to the peace agreement, any party that launches an attack after the signing of the deal will be considered a “terrorist” and action will be taken against it. Another point of the agreement says that a fine of Rs10 million ($35,933) will be imposed on those who violate the terms of the deal by using weapons against each other.

Land disputes in the volatile district will be settled on a priority basis with the cooperation of local tribes and the district administration, according to the peace agreement. Opening of banned outfits’ offices will be prohibited in the district, while social media accounts spreading hate will be discouraged via collective efforts backed by the government.


India issues visas to 100 Pakistani pilgrims for Sufi saint’s death anniversary

Updated 05 January 2025
Follow

India issues visas to 100 Pakistani pilgrims for Sufi saint’s death anniversary

  • Pakistani pilgrims to depart for Ajmer in India today to partake in religious festivities
  • India issued visas “significantly below” allowed quota of 500 pilgrims, says state media

ISLAMABAD: India has issued visas to 100 Pakistani pilgrims to attend events related to the annual death anniversary of revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, state media reported this week, saying that the number was “significantly below” the allowed quota of 500 pilgrims. 

Pakistan and India regularly issue visas to residents of each other’s countries to attend birth and death anniversaries of religious personalities. The 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines agreement allows devotees from both countries to visit sacred sites, including Hindu temples in Pakistan and Islamic shrines in India. 

However, political tensions between the two nations have at times disrupted these exchanges, with instances where visas were denied to religious pilgrims.

“The Indian authorities have issued visas to only 100 Pakistani pilgrims for the annual Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif, India, significantly below the allotted quota of 500,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Saturday.

Pakistan’s religion ministry spokesperson Umer Butt said India has denied visas to a potential 400 Pakistani pilgrims this year to attend Chishti’s death anniversary. 

“Despite the restrictions, he said 100 Pakistani pilgrims are set to leave for Ajmer Sharif on Sunday via the Wagah border,” APP reported. 

He said these pilgrims will participate in various religious ceremonies at Chishti’s shrine, widely known as Gharib Nawaz, at Ajmer in India’s Rajasthan. 

Despite the tensions between the two countries, Pakistan has actively promoted religious tourism in recent years, welcoming Buddhist monks as well as Hindu and Sikh pilgrims from India and across the globe. 

The inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019, which allows visa-free travel for Indian Sikhs to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, is a significant milestone in these efforts.

Each year, a large number of Indian Sikhs also travel to Pakistan to pay homage at sacred sites, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi in Lahore, the last resting place of the founder of the Sikh Empire, and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, revered for its connection to Guru Nanak.


Pakistan demands UN take meaningful measures for free plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir

Updated 05 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan demands UN take meaningful measures for free plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir

  • Pakistan marks Jan. 5 every year to commemorate day UN recognized right to self-determination for people of Kashmir in 1949
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif urges world to call for immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community and the United Nations on Sunday to ensure a free, fair and transparent plebiscite for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir, criticizing New Delhi for taking steps to “consolidate its occupation” of the disputed valley. 

Pakistan marks ‘Right to Self-Determination Day’ for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir every year on Jan. 5, which commemorates the United Nations Security Council’s resolution passed on Jan. 5, 1949. In it, the UN supported the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their future through a free and fair plebiscite under UN supervision. 

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries govern parts of the territory but claim it in full, having fought two of their three wars over the disputed region.

“It is time for the international community, including the United Nations, to live up to their promises and take meaningful measures, enabling the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination,” Sharif said in his statement. 

Sharif noted that every year the UN expresses unequivocal support for the realization of the right to self-determination for peoples under foreign occupation. 

“Regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right for over seven decades,” he said. 

“The international community must also call for immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners, and restoration of fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.”

In 2019, India repealed Article 370, which granted special autonomous status to the part of Kashmir controlled by New Delhi, and the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan was over, India Today reported.

The move triggered a sharp reaction from Pakistan, which suspended trade with India and downgraded its ties with the country. 

“Through a series of illegal and unilateral actions taken since 5 August 2019, India is trying to alter the demographic and political structure of the disputed territory, aimed at transforming the majority Kashmiri people into a disempowered minority community, in their own homeland,” Sharif said. 

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “strong resolve” to continue extending its moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir to pursue their right to self-determination.


Pakistan government warns of ‘hurdles’ to talks if Imran Khan’s party doesn’t submit demands

Updated 05 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan government warns of ‘hurdles’ to talks if Imran Khan’s party doesn’t submit demands

  • Second round of talks between Khan’s party, government ended inconclusively this week after PTI did not submit demands in writing
  • Khan’s party has publicly stated two demands: release of political prisoners and setting up of judicial commissions to probe protests

ISLAMABAD: A leading government spokesperson this week warned that negotiations with former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party may face “serious hurdles” if the party fails to submit its demands in writing in the next meeting. 

The PTI and the government’s second round of talks on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the jailed former premier before submitting their demands in writing to the government. 

The two sides kicked off negotiations last month to end the political deadlock in the country. Khan’s party has publicly stated two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.

“In an interview with a private television channel, he [Senator Irfan Siddiqui] said that if PTI does not submit its demands in writing as promised, the negotiation process may face serious hurdles,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

“He said even after 12 days, no significant progress has been made.”

Siddiqui, who is the parliamentary leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ()PML-N) in the Senate and a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the government had facilitated Khan’s party by arranging its meetings with the former prime minister in jail. 

However, he said the PTI remained “indecisive” about formalizing their demands despite written assurances made in joint declarations. 

“However, if the written demands are not presented in the third meeting, the negotiations could face significant setbacks,” Radio Pakistan quoted Siddiqui as saying. 

He said the date for the third meeting between the two sides would be decided by the PTI.

Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.

The talks between the two sides opened days after Khan threatened a civil disobedience movement, and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.


Pakistan Business Council elects new board to strengthen trade, investment ties with UAE

Updated 05 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan Business Council elects new board to strengthen trade, investment ties with UAE

  • PBC provides a platform to Pakistani companies and professionals in Dubai, helping them with networking
  • It also engages in initiatives to enhance Pakistan’s image, organize business forums and cultural activities

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) Dubai, a non-profit organization established in 2004 to strengthen trade and investment ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has elected its new board of directors for the 2025-2026 term, according to its statement on Saturday.

PBC serves as a platform for Pakistan-related companies and professionals operating in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, facilitating business networking, information exchange and maintaining strong connections to Pakistan.

Established under the patronage of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the council boasts a membership of over 200 Pakistani businessmen and companies from diverse sectors, including trade, manufacturing, professional services, finance, technology and health care.

Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai, Hussain Muhammad, congratulated the newly elected board during a ceremony held at the Pakistan Association Dubai.

“The PBC serves as a dynamic platform for fostering trade, investment and collaboration between Pakistan and the UAE,” he said, according to a council statement. “I urge the new board to continue identifying and promoting sectors where both nations can collaborate for mutual benefit.”

PBC actively engages in initiatives to enhance Pakistan’s image. It also closely works with local government departments in Dubai and organizes events such as business forums, seminars, workshops and cultural celebrations related to Pakistan.

During the ceremony, the consul general praised the outgoing board for their contributions and highlighted the strong relationship between Pakistan and the UAE.

Members of both the outgoing and incoming boards also addressed the gathering, saying the council was playing a vital role in promoting business-to-business collaboration between the two countries.