World news story

Members of the Royal College of Defence studies UK visiting Pakistan

A delegation of students from the British Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), led by Maj Gen (R) Simon Porter, are visiting Pakistan this week for an overseas study tour to learn about issues of global and regional importance, including the security situation in the region.

Members of the Royal College of Defence studies UK visiting Pakistan

A delegation of students from the British Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), led by Maj Gen (R) Simon Porter visiting Pakistan.

The international delegation includes senior military and civilian officials in the armed forces from around the world.

As part of the tour agenda, the RCDS delegation will have a series of meetings with government as well as non-government official and institutions.

They met with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, who is an alumnus of RCDS, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum, President of Foreign Service Academy (FSA), Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt; and the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research & Analysis in Islamabad and the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) in Lahore.

Speaking during the visit, British Maj Gen (R) Simon Porter said:

The Royal College of Defence Studies’ visit to Pakistan provides our students the opportunity to examine in detail an important region of the world. It was particularly valuable to meet some of Pakistan’s most important figures – including General Raheel Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum.

It was particularly valuable to hear about Pakistan’s counter extremism work. Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate militancy and extremism are difficult and important and our thoughts are with those members of the Pakistani army who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Contact

Press Attaché
British High Commission
Islamabad
Tel. 051 201 2000

Published 27 May 2016