Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah has vowed to make country’s maritime defence invincible.
In his message on the Defence Day, he said, “September 6 is a day of reckoning in our nation’s history. We commemorate this day to pay tributes to our martyrs whose sacrifices and gallant acts instil in us a renewed spirit.”
He said the country has had been tested on numerous occasions whether on account of aggression from across the border or by extremist elements. “We can only withstand such challenges if we imbibe the spirit of Quaid’s golden principles of unity, faith and discipline as our social, moral and religious moorings.”
Pakistan, he said, is blessed with over 1,000km long coastline and an extended continental shelf having an area of 290,000 sq km. “This can be rightly termed a ‘Maritime Province’ in its own right. Ensuring maritime security in the area is vital to maintaining free flow of trade through the sea lanes, which are our jugular vein,” he added.
“The Pakistan Navy contributes effectively to the overall deterrence and national security. In view of the game-changing development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with the Gwadar port as its ‘pivot and enabler’, maritime security all along our coast, especially off Gwadar has assumed greater significance. The PN is determined and vigilant to safeguard against any conventional or asymmetric threat to Pakistani ports and maritime infrastructure with special focus on seaward security of Gwadar given the importance of the CPEC project.
“The PN is resolute in its commitment to continue effort in the National Action Plan and Operation Zarb-e-Azb in synergy with our security forces both ashore and along our maritime frontiers. Let us renew our pledge that the defence of our homeland shall reign supreme and we shall leave no stone unturned in making Pakistan’s defence impregnable,” he concluded.
