ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy said on Thursday its flotilla visited Iran’s Port Bandar Abbas where officials of the two navies held talks before a passage exercise was held.
According to the navy’s media release, Pakistan Navy ships Rasadgar and Azmat, along with Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) ship Dasht, visited Port Bandar Abbas during their overseas deployment.
The flotilla was led by Commander 14th Destroyer Squadron, Commodore Muhammad Umair.
“The Mission Commander, along with the Commanding Officers, held meetings with naval leadership of Iran,” the statement said. “During these interactions, matters of mutual interest, Navy-to-Navy engagements, and cooperation in maritime security were discussed.”
Both the PN and PMSA ships later conducted a Passage Exercise with an Iranian Navy ship, the statement said.
It added that the exercise aimed to enhance interoperability between the two navies and promote shared learning through coordinated activities.
“The visit of the PN flotilla to Iran is expected to further strengthen existing diplomatic ties and cordial relations between the two nations,” Pakistan Navy said.
A passage exercise is a routine drill involving the navies of friendly foreign countries that occurs while visiting each other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea.
Pakistan Navy regularly partakes in bilateral exercises with regional countries to stem the spread of illegal maritime activities such as human smuggling, piracy and drug trafficking.
Pakistan Navy flotilla arrives in Iran, holds bilateral passage exercise
https://arab.news/jzpja
Pakistan Navy flotilla arrives in Iran, holds bilateral passage exercise
- Pakistan, Iran navy commanders discuss matters of mutual interest, cooperation in maritime security
- Exercise aimed to promote shared learning through coordinated activities between both navies
Pakistan reviews austerity measures amid Middle East crisis, urges strict nationwide implementation
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chairs review meeting of austerity steps
- Officials briefed on salary cuts, school closures, four‑day week, petrol conservation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Wednesday assessed progress on a sweeping set of austerity measures introduced to mitigate the country’s economic strain from sharply rising global oil prices and supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week announced a series of austerity steps, including a four‑day work week for government offices, requiring 50 percent of staff to work from home, cutting fuel allowances for official vehicles by half, grounding up to 60 percent of the government fleet and closing all schools for two weeks to conserve fuel amid the global oil crisis.
The measures were unveiled in response to global oil market volatility triggered by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has disrupted supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude prices sharply higher, straining Pakistan’s heavily import‑dependent energy sector.
“The meeting stressed the importance of strict and transparent adherence to the austerity measures, promoting fiscal responsibility and prudent use of public resources,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said in a statement.
He was chairing a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, constituted under the directions of the PM, bringing together federal and provincial officials to review execution of the broad cost‑cutting plan.
Dar emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing the PM’s austerity steps nationwide. The committee’s review also covered reductions in departmental expenditure, deductions from salaries of senior officials earning over Rs. 300,000 ($1,120), and coordination with provincial administrations to ensure uniform implementation of the plan.
Participants at the meeting reiterated that all ministries and divisions must continue strict monitoring and reporting, with transparent oversight mechanisms, as Pakistan navigates the economic pressures from the prolonged Middle East crisis and its fallout on global energy and trade markets.
