ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday opened a 60-hour-long joint military exercise in its northwest, with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United States (US) among the participating nations, the Pakistani military said.
The opening ceremony of the 7th International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Exercise was held at the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
A total of 20 friendly countries, including Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Morocco, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye, United States of America and Uzbekistan, are participating in the exercise.
Pakistan’s military training director-general opened the exercise, which is aimed at enhancing military-to-military cooperation under complex international security environment.
“Pakistan Army Team Spirit is a mission-specific and task-oriented professional military exercise organized annually in Pakistan,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“The exercise calls for highest standard of physical fitness, mental agility/robustness and professional military expertise for quick decision-making in varied situations during conduct of challenging missions in near-real environment.”
Officials from Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Myanmar, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and Oman will be witnessing the exercise as military observers, according to the ISPR.
“The exercise would help hone basic soldierly attributes besides interoperability through sharing of innovative ideas and mutual best practices,” it added.
Pakistan routinely holds joint air, ground and sea exercises with friendly nations to foster interoperability and joint deployment concepts to counter threats to global peace.
Several cadets from these nations annually visit the South Asian country, which has fought back militancy for decades, to undergo specialized military training.
Pakistan opens 60-hour joint military exercise with Saudi Arabia, US and Jordan among participating nations
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Pakistan opens 60-hour joint military exercise with Saudi Arabia, US and Jordan among participating nations
- The exercise is aimed at enhancing military-to-military cooperation under complex global security environment, Pakistani military says
- Officials from Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Myanmar, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and Oman will witness the exercise as military observers
Pakistan says PM Sharif has received invitation to join Gaza peace board
- Board is set to supervise temporary governance of Gaza
- Gaza has been under a shaky ceasefire since October
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza.
The White House on Friday announced some members of this board, which would outlive its role supervising the temporary governance of Gaza, under a fragile ceasefire since October.
The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan the White House unveiled in October.
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on Trump’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic administration will be overseen by an international board, which will supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the President of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.”
Many rights experts and advocates have said Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s governance resembles a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the board. The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks.
It also named a separate, 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” to support the technocratic body, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Middle East peace coordinator Sigrid Kaag, United Arab Emirates International Cooperation Minister Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said the composition of this board had not been coordinated with Israel and contradicted its policy — possibly a reference to Fidan’s presence, as Israel objects to Turkish involvement.
With inputs from Reuters
