Pakistan ship to arrive in Lanka on goodwill visit

In a demonstration of the strong political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, and defence ties between the two friendly countries, Pakistan Naval Ship PNS Shamsheer will be arriving at Colombo Port for a four-day goodwill visit from 30 November to 3 December, the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo said.

Pakistan Navy (PN) ships pay port calls to Sri Lanka on frequent basis, with the aim to further strengthen the existing strong relationship between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Pakistan Naval Ship PNS is the third ship to be so named. PNS Shamsheer derives its name from the traditional word ‘Shamsheer’ which means sword and is a special type of sabre with a 5-15 degree curve from top to tip. Swords are considered a symbol of valour in Muslim history.

The first ship of the class inducted into the Pakistani Navy was the HMPS Shamsheer (F-252) which was inherited at the time of independence. It served the Pakistan navy fleet as an Anti-Submarine Frigate as well as a training ship for cadets and sailors until 1960.

The second ship was a leander Class ASW Frigates (F-263) acquired from the Royal Navy in July 1988 and served the Pakistan Navy Fleet until July 2002.

The present PNS Shamsheer was launched on 31 October 2008 and was commissioned into use by the Pakistan navy on 19 December 2009. The ship sailed her maiden homeward journey on 25 December 2009.

While berthed at the Colombo Port, Mission Commander, Commodore Bilal Abdul Nasir, and Captain Syed Rizwan Khalid will pay a courtesy call on Navy Commander Director General Operations and Commander Western Naval Area.

During their stay in Colombo, the officers and men of the PNS Shamsheer will also take part in various professional activities with the Sri Lankan Navy.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have strong defence ties and both navies engage in multifaceted cooperation. The Pakistan Navy provides a number of conventional training courses for Sri Lankan Navy personnel, while the Sri Lankan Navy shares its experience and expertise with regard to anti-terrorism operations at sea.