Sri Lankan army seeks officers' training in Pakistan

Sri Lankan army seeks officers' training in Pakistan

The Sri Lankan army has sought more training opportunities for Sri Lankan officers in Pakistan, in addition to ongoing training programs, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. This was discussed when visiting Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met his Sri Lankan counterpart, General Jagath Jayasuriya at the Army Headquarters. “The meeting also explored avenues of receiving more and more training opportunities for Sri Lankan officers in Pakistan, in addition to ongoing training programmes,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Sri Lanka army had turned down an offer by India to train two Sri Lankan officers at another location as opposed to the Defense Services Staff Course (DSSC) in Wellington in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The two officers who were following the Defense Services Staff Course (DSSC) in Wellington, India returned prematurely this week following stiff opposition in Tamil Nadu to the training given to them. Several Sri Lankan army officers were turned back from training in Tamil Nadu due to protests from Tamil political parties who regard the training extended to Lankan military in the state as an act in derogation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.