ISLAMABAD – Yet another blow has been reported in the Pakistan US fracturedmilitary ties.
Pakistan Navy has quit from the US led counterpiracy Combined Task Force(CTF) amid the worsening relations with the US.
The country decided to leave the US-led task force, operating in thewestern Indian Ocean, after it refused to honor the agreement and pay forthe fuel required for patrolling warships, Al-Jazeera reported via itssources in the military.
The report says that the task force will feel Pakistan’s absence because ofits Navy’s anti-piracy expertise and access to waters where US-flagcarriers are hesitant to go.
The Combined Maritime Force (CMF), the parent organization of CTF, hasconfirmed that Pakistan is no longer part of CTF, the report says.
Pakistan provides experienced naval personnel, very knowledgeable in areassuch as operating in the Indian Ocean. However, the current constituents ofCTF151 do not include Pakistan.
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Pakistani military officials have also confirmed the news stating that thecountry has to guard its own interests in the western India Ocean.
Pakistan Navy is now seeking to carry out independent Regional MaritimeSecurity Patrol (RMSP), claims report. It will now patrol the internationalwaters from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman, and from the Strait ofHormuz to the Maldivian waters, a Pakistani military official toldAl-Jazeera.
Experts believe that Pakistan’s decision to quit CTF does not mean that itis severing its ties with the CMF. Pakistan is still part of the CombinedMaritime Force and could anytime resume its operations with the CTF151.
