The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Pakistan, General Rashad Mahmood, will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow on his first overseas visit after taking over as CJCSC.
 
A statement issued by the Pakistani High Commission in Sri Lanka said the CJCSC is visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of his counterpart General Jagath Jayasuria from 7-11 April 2014.

General Rashad Mahmood, was appointed as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) of Pakistan by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on November 27, 2013.

Lieutenant General Rashad Mahmood, was commissioned in Pakistan Army’s Baloch Regiment in May 1975 and has varied experience of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.
 
During his stay in Sri Lanka, General Rashad will meet Sri Lanka’s top political and military leadership.

The CJCSC Pakistan is also scheduled to visit Sri Lankan Military Academy at Diyatalawa besides his tour to Anuradhapura and Jaffna.
 
General Rashad is also expected to visit Defence Services Command and Staff College at Sapugaskanda where he will deliver a special talk on “Pakistan’s Security Perspective”.
 
The visit of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Pakistan to Sri Lanka is of immense importance as the time tested relationship between the two friendly countries is further strengthened in political, strategic and economic spheres.

Pakistan is one of the very few countries which provided all out support to Sri Lanka at the UNHRC Session in Geneva.   
 
Pakistan offers comprehensive training facilities to Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Air Force which directly functions under Joint Staff Headquarters and have increased manifolds in last three years.
 
The Joint Staff Headquarters was also instrumental in commencement of Staff Talks between the two Armed Forces. Recently, procurement of 100 Pakistani manufactured cars by Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka was another manifestation of close Defence ties between the two countries.