PAKISTAN TO ENHANCE NAVAL RELATIONS WITH MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) -- People in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding
areas (Klang Valley) who are interested in war ships will have the opportunity
to experience it when Pakistan's newly acquired state-of-the art missile frigate
makes a stop-over at Port Klang on Thursday.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia Lt. General (Rtd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi
said the PNS Zulfiquar, Pakistan's first F-22 frigate, would anchor at Port
Klang for four days from Thursday before continuing its journey home.

He said the war ship was constructed for the Pakistan Navy at the Hudong
Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai and formally handed over to the Pakistan
government on July 30, while the other three ships were at different stages of
construction.

"The stopover in Port Klang is a goodwill mission reflecting greater
cooperation between the navies of Malaysia and Pakistan," he said in a
statement.

Tahir Qazi said the F-22P frigate was equipped with state-of-the-art
weaponry and sensors including anti-surface missile, surface-to-air
missile, guns, torpedoes, depth charge and air surveillance radar.

He said while berthed, a media briefing would be held on board on Thursday
and the ship would also be open for public visits, besides an arranged visit by
Royal Malaysian Navy officers.

Tahir Qazi said this was the second visit by Pakistan's naval vessels to
Malaysia this year.

Earlier this year, two Pakistan naval ships, PNS Nasr and PNS Badr with
embarked helicopters, anchored at Port Klang from April 4 to 7 on a goodwill
mission to Malaysia and carried out joint passage excercise.
-- BERNAMA