Army chief observes joint Pakistan-China air exercises

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa witnessed a joint air exercise between Pakistan and China on Friday, where he said such joint training ventures are vital to increase combat readiness of both countries to face emerging geo-strategic challenges.

According to a series of tweets by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar, the Army chief visited an operational base of the Pakistan Air Force today to witness Pakistan-China Joint Air Exercise “Shaheen-IX”. Shaheen-IX is the ninth in the series of joint exercises between PAF and PLAAF which started in 2011 and are held in Pakistan and China on an alternate basis.

Addressing the participants of exercise, Gen Bajwa said the joint exercise will improve combat capacity of both air forces substantially and also enhance interoperability between them with greater strength and harmony. The Army chief said such joint training ventures are vital to increase combat readiness of both countries to face emerging geo-strategic challenges.

While interacting with the base personnel, Gen Bajwa lauded the professionalism and dedication of PAF and reiterated the importance of inter- services harmony and synergy for operational success. “PAF’s cutting edge aside, what makes it second to none is the high morale and thorough professionalism of its personnel,” Gen Bajwa added.