Iranian naval fleet arrives in Karachi for joint exercise

KARACHI: An Iranian naval fleet docked at the Karachi Port on Tuesday to convey the message of peace and friendship. Pakistan navy officer Commodore Mushtaq welcomed the four Iranian naval ships, Lavan, Khanja, Falakhan and Konarak. A military helicopter carried by ‘Lavan’ navy ship is also part of the fleet. Earlier, Pakistan’s top navy official had said that the navy was eagerly waiting for the arrival of Iranian naval ships for a goodwill visit to Karachi Port. In an interview with Iran media, Vice Admiral Sohail Masood had said that the navy ships of Iranian army were coming to Pakistan in a few days. “We have a system that we always have an exercise when they (Iranian navy) come to Pakistan or we go to Iran,” he said. During their visit, the officers and men of Iranian navy ships will have professional discussions and interactions with their counterparts in Pakistan navy on subjects of mutual interest. Moreover, operational training activities, exchange of visits by naval personnel and sports activities are also planned. Also, a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) will be conducted at the sea to improve interoperability between the two navies.