• Pakistan High Commission in SL denies any issues

Sri Lanka yesterday (19) firmly denied reports circulating in some Indian media outlets about the cancellation of naval engagements with Pakistan, with the Ministry of Defence clarifying that no such cancellation had occurred. 

The Pakistan High Commission also refuted the cancellation claims, confirming that a request for a port call by one of their naval ships had been made several weeks ago and was duly approved by Sri Lankan authorities.

Accordingly, a Pakistani naval vessel had made a scheduled visit to Colombo, carried out planned joint exercises with the Sri Lanka Navy, and then departed as scheduled.

The ministry and the Pakistan High Commission have dismissed reports circulating in international media that a scheduled joint naval exercise between Sri Lanka and Pakistan had been cancelled following objections from India.

Several foreign news outlets recently claimed that routine naval drills between the Sri Lanka Navy and the Pakistan Navy in Trincomalee had been called off in the lead-up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka.

The reports speculated that the alleged cancellation had been influenced by India’s increasing involvement in Sri Lanka’s energy infrastructure development, particularly in the eastern region.

However, Sri Lankan defence officials have categorically denied the veracity of such claims, with Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara confirming that no such cancellation had taken place.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Defence Ministry Spokesperson Col. Nalin Herath stated: “The Pakistani naval vessel arrived in Colombo, engaged in scheduled joint exercises with the Sri Lanka Navy, and subsequently departed. There was no cancellation of any activity. Sri Lanka routinely facilitates such naval engagements with many countries, including the US, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, the UK, and others.”

The Sunday Morning also reached out to Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka Defence Adviser Col. Muhammad Farooq, who corroborated the Defence Ministry’s position.

“I’ve seen the reports in the media, but we are unaware of any such developments. A few weeks ago, we requested a port call for one of our naval ships in Colombo, which was approved. Beyond that, I am not aware of any issues,” he said.

Both the Defence Ministry and the Pakistan High Commission emphasised that bilateral naval cooperation remained unchanged and that no official communication had been made regarding any cancellations or objections.