Jane Marriott, Air Chief hold meeting, discuss key areas of mutual interest

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Jane Marriott, British High Com­missioner to Pakistan, met with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Paki­stan Air Force, in a highly significant meeting held at the Air Headquar­ters on Thursday.

The discussion focused on key areas of mutual interest with a special em­phasis on the contemporary geo-po­litical situation and emerging re­gional security challenges. High ranking military dignitaries from British Armed Forces were also present during the meeting.

The Air Chief accentuated the cordial relations that exist between the two nations while emphasizing his steadfast determination to ele­vate the existing synergistic part­nership between the two key al­lies. He briefed the British High Commissioner on the PAF’s on­going modernization efforts and highlighted the significant prog­ress made in recent years, said a news release.

The Chief of the Air Staff also reit­erated PAF’s commitment to devel­oping indigenous solutions to meet its operational requirements. High­lighting the historic partnership be­tween the two nations, the Air Chief further said, “The existing global security scenario coupled with the evolving dynamics of air warfare calls for an enhanced partnership between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Both the countries share strong strategic and historical bonds, firmly rooted in mutual con­sensus on all important issues of re­gional peace and stability.”

The visiting dignitary com­mended Pakistan Air Force for its dedication to modernization and its focus on indigenization under the current leadership. Recogniz­ing the achievements of Pakistan Air Force and the latest advance­ments in training & infrastruc­ture development, the High Com­missioner expressed admiration for PAF’s efforts in enhancing its defence capabilities.

She also as­sured to play her role to further enhance the existing cooperation in the training domain so as to en­sure a highest degree of training for PAF personnel, enabling them to meet the evolving challenges of modern warfare.