In reaction to US act, Pakistan Navy decides to quit CTF operations in western Indian Ocean
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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s navy has responded agressively over the US act of refusing to pay for the fuel cost of the operations of the counter piracy Combined Task Force in Indian Ocean.
As per the media report, Pakistan Navy has devised to quit the counterpiracy Combined Task Force (CTF) that operates in the western Indian Ocean, Al Jazeera reported.
According to reports, the decision to leave the task force was taken after the US-led operation refused to pay for fuel for the patrolling warships as part of a previous agreement.
Military officials believe that CTF nations will feel Pakistan’s absence because of its counter-piracy expertise and the Pakistani vessels’ access to waters that are not friendly to Western flag-bearing ships.
Pakistan has taken command of the task force several times since 2013 and participated in operations with two warships that patrolled the Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) – the over-arching organisation of which the CTF is a part – confirmed that Pakistan is no longer participating with ships in the task force.
“Currently, Pakistan provides experienced naval personnel, very knowledgeable in areas such as operating in the Indian Ocean,” CMF spokesperson Wendy Wheatley said.
“The current constituents of CTF 151 does not include Pakistan, however, a new team of nations take over every 4-6 months,” she added.
“Participation remains purely voluntary and no nation is asked to carry out any duty that it is unwilling to conduct.”
