Marine EEZ resource rich, should be seen as Pakistan’s fifth province: Navy chief

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Naval chief says piracy, human smuggling among threats to maritime security

LAHORE: The country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) within its territorial waters has a larger area than that of Sindh and NWFP combined, and should be regarded as the fifth province of the country, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir said on Wednesday.

Addressing the concluding session of the 38th Pakistan Navy Staff Course at the War College, he said the sea is rich in fish, hydrocarbons, and seabed resources. He said the sea has always been a major reservoir of resources and offers extensive opportunities to promote national interests. “It also poses challenges in the form of threats that could imperil national security,” he added.

Threats: “Threats to maritime security emanate from inter-state territorial disputes, political instability and transnational crimes, including maritime terrorism, piracy, human smuggling, drugs and arms trafficking,” he said. He said there is an increasing realisation that no one nation can single-handedly cope with all the threats in a maritime environment, adding this had led to the contemporary concept of collaborative maritime security.

He said the Indian Ocean is home to some of the world's most important choke points, due to which maritime security and stability of the North Arabian Sea has attained greater significance with respect to freedom of navigation and uninterrupted flow of trade. “For Pakistan, the sea is absolutely essential for our economic progress and sustenance of daily life,” he added.

Discussing the role of the Pakistan Navy (PN), he said: “The maritime environment and the complex nature of the threat leads us to ensure an effective PN response within our resources. The answer, therefore, lies in the formulation of a viable naval strategy within the framework of PN's vision. I see the PN as an effective instrument of our defence and foreign policies. It would be capable of defending the maritime frontiers of our country, showing presence in our area of interest, enhancing Pakistan's image globally and would help increase our influence over regional countries.”

“Today, we can be counted in the maritime arena (and counted among the world’s leading naval forces), and most importantly our engagement with the coalition contributes towards regional peace and stability,” he said. app

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