Naval exercise with Iran 'unplanned', part of 'goodwill gesture', says Pak navy

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 9 : After it was reported that the one-day naval exercise between Pakistan and Iran in the Arabian Gulf on Tuesday was based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a spokesperson for the Pakistani Navy said that the exercise was 'unplanned' and part of a 'goodwill gesture'.
"There was no planned exercise between the two countries. This was a passage exercise as a goodwill gesture," the spokesman told Arab News on Tuesday.
The spokesman added that Pakistani ships were returning from Dubai via Qatar and took part in the exercise with Iran as a gesture of goodwill. "As a routine, Iranian ships were to accompany us up until Pakistani waters. Then, this passage exercise took place," he further said.
The day-long drill was aimed at "promoting military cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, Arab News reported citing IRNA news agency.
Rejecting media reports of a pre-planned agreement, the spokesperson said that there was no MoU between the countries and that such passage and peace exercises are routine between countries.
Pakistani ships recently participated in an exhibition in Dubai, traveling onward to Qatar and Bahrain, he added.