Pakistan and Britain have expressed the desire to further deepen and expand bilateral ties in divergent fields especially in the area of defense. This was discussed at a meeting between Defense Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal and the visiting Chief of Naval Staff of Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, according to an official statement. The meeting dealt with matters of mutual interests and stressed the need for closer cooperation between the Navies of the two countries. The Minister informed the Naval Chief of Staff of Royal Navy about the measures undertaken by Pakistan against the war on terror. He told him that Pakistan had deployed about 100,000 troops on its border with Afghanistan to combat and eliminate terrorist and extremist elements. Admiral Sir Jonathon Band appreciated the key role played by Pakistan against the war on terror. He also thanked the government of Pakistan for providing logistic support to International Security Assistance Force/NATO Forces currently engaged in anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan.
