Multitiol ‘Aman-17’ val exercise kicks off in Pakistan

Karachi, Feb 10: The multitiol ‘Aman-17’ val exercise kicked off in Karachi on Friday with 37 countries taking part in the event. ‘Aman-17’ is the fifth such exercise which Pakistan has been holding every alterte year since 2007.

Commander of the Pakistani val fleet Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini iugurated the exercise, which includes Australia, Chi, Indonesia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Britain, the US, Japan and Russia at the Karachi dockyard. The Vice Admiral, speaking at the ceremony, said that the exercise would help work against human trafficking, rcotics smuggling, and terrorism in the region, Radio Pakistan reported.

Prime Minister waz Sharif extended a warm welcome to all participants and said Pakistan, being a major stakeholder in maritime security of the Arabian Sea, was fully committed to ensuring freedom of vigation and lawful maritime order. He pointed out that maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean were both multidimensiol and multifaceted. Threats such as maritime terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy have acquired intertiol dimensions, he said. (IANS)