Senate Defence Committee visits Naval installations in Karachi, Gwadar

Lahore: Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman, Senate Defence Committee, has termed the role of Pakistan Navy as ‘pivotal in present geopolitical scenario with Gwadar Port central to CPEC’. Talking to the media here today after the recent visit of Senate Defence Committee to Naval installations in Karachi, Gwadar and Ormara, Senator Mushahid praised the Pakistan Navy’s proactive role, readiness and activities in promoting social-economic and educational development in the coastal regions of Balochistan, thereby promoting national integration.

Referring to the visit of the Senate Defence Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain said the Senators received high-level briefings led by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Zakaullah, terming him a ‘top-notch professional’, and said in the emerging regional scenario, the focus would be on protecting sea-lanes with greater competition, especially among US, China, Japan and India, revolving around their respective navies. He said Pakistan too would play a strategic role since Gwadar Port was pivotal for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as Pakistan is part of the Maritime Silk Road as well as the Silk Road land corridor.

The Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee informed the media that he would be presenting the report of the Senate Defence Committee’s recent visit to the Senate session tomorrow, so that the Senate can discuss and debate this issue in the context of the increasingly important role of Pakistan Navy.

Senator Mushahid Hussain also proposed that the government prepare a National Maritime Security Plan given the emerging regional scenario and role of Pakistan Navy, establish a new shipyard in Gwadar to supplement the one in Karachi.

He also proposed that the Government prepare a strategy on how best to convert the 50,000 square kilometres of continental shelf that Pakistan had gained, for its economic and security benefit, because such a large continental shelf can have the potential of being transformed into the ‘fifth province’ of Pakistan.