“The wilderness is a wilderness, and we have not spared even the rivers; we have unleashed horses in the sea of darkness”
THE Pakistan Navy, as the guardian of Pakistan’s seas and protector of its shores, is always prepared to tackle both conventional and unconventional threats.
It defends the 240,000 square kilometres of the economic zone in the northern Arabian Sea and the thousand-kilometre-long coastline from Sir Creek to Gwadar, safeguarding national assets.
The Navy conducts numerous maritime security operations to prevent terrorism and drug trafficking in the maritime domain, working actively to improve overall maritime security in collaboration with regional and friendly nations.
In 2012, the Pakistan Navy established the Joint Maritime Information Organization (JMIO) to streamline the efforts of all government agencies and stakeholders in organizing maritime defence.
In 2013, the Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Centre (JMICC) was established as a central hub for data collection and information dissemination, maintaining contacts with 52 national stakeholders and 11 international stakeholders.
The expansion of global connections through the JMICC has greatly contributed to maritime security and safety.
The Pakistan Navy, alongside the Maritime Security Agency, has saved many precious lives through collaborative efforts in search and rescue operations, adhering to a tradition of duty. Based on confidential information from stakeholders, significant anti-drug operations have been conducted since January 2024. However, in recent times, unconventional threats such as piracy, human trafficking, climate change and maritime terrorism have prompted changes in global maritime strategy, indicating that even the greatest powers in the world cannot singularly control these global commons (the seas).
In light of this scenario, the Pakistan Navy also played a pivotal role in hosting the first peace exercises in 2007 and the participation of all major naval forces of the world has continued successfully and consistently since then. These exercises are held every two years and their success is evident from the increasing number of participating countries each time. In February of this year, the 9th multinational peace exercise, held under the motto “Together for Peace,” reflected Pakistan’s unwavering support for peace and mutual cooperation in security. This exercise included participation from 60 nations, including China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Japan, Turkey, Russia and African Union members.
The successful organization of joint peace dialogues between naval chiefs and coast guards during the peace exercise marks a historic achievement for the Pakistan Navy. This initiative led to the development of a joint strategy to address regional security and maritime threats, with approximately 120 delegations from 60 countries participating in the Sea Guard exercise. The event, held at the Pakistan Navy dockyard, saw the raising of flags from all participating nations as part of the 9th Multinational Maritime Peace Exercise 2025. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf welcomed participants, emphasizing the exercise’s role in bringing together regional and non-regional naval forces to promote a secure maritime environment. He highlighted the Pakistan Navy’s role as a key partner in the Arabian Sea and its contributions to regional maritime security, including maritime patrols. To further acknowledge the international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s peace efforts, the Navy introduced a peace dialogue this year. Rear Admiral Abdul Muneeb, Pakistan Fleet Commander, emphasized the importance of the peace exercise in strengthening joint maritime security and cooperation, underscoring its significance in fostering collaboration among the global maritime community.
The heads of delegations from other countries participating in this global military event commended the organization of the peace exercises, stating that these exercises play a crucial role in making maritime trade effective and secure. A total of 13 warships from 11 countries participated in these exercises, including Pakistan Navy’s PNS Moawin. The objective of these exercises is to enhance cooperation among navies for global security and to benefit from each other’s experiences. The peace exercises were conducted in two phases: Harbor and Sea. The Harbor phase took place from February 7 to 9, 2025 and included various activities such as seminars, operational discussions, practical demonstrations and sports. The Sea phase was conducted on February 10 and 11 and involved exercises on maritime security, operations against piracy and terrorism, search and rescue missions, and gunnery drills.
The Chief of Naval Staff also visited the ships of participating forces including Bangladesh Navy’s BNS Somudra Joy, China Navy’s PLA (N) GAO YOUHU, Indonesia Navy’s KRI Bung Tomo, Iran Navy’s IRIS Jamaran, Japan Navy’s JS Murasame, Malaysia Navy’s KD Terengganu, Sri Lanka Navy’s SLNS Vijayabahu, United Arab Emirates Navy’s Abu Dhabi-class corvette, and the United States Navy’s USS Lewis B. Puller. The dedicated and fearless personnel of the Pakistan Navy showcased their capabilities during the peace exercise. Practical demonstrations were also conducted against terrorism, in which the Elite Special Services Group Navy (SSGN) and Pakistan Marines participated jointly. The highlight of this event was the stunning free-fall jumping display by the Pakistan Navy’s Sea Eagles team.
The exercise concluded with the International Fleet Review in the Arabian Sea, attended by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir as the chief guest. The Army Chief stated that Peace Exercise 2025 has emerged as a forum that has united all global geographical powers on a platform for a common goal of safe seas and a prosperous future. There is no doubt that the Pakistan Navy, while fulfilling its fundamental responsibilities of defending national maritime boundaries and protecting maritime assets in accordance with the principles of diplomacy, is also striving for peace in the Indian Ocean and international waters by bringing all nations together. Undoubtedly, our silent defensive strength is committed not only to safeguarding maritime boundaries and coastal interests but also to delivering the benefits of the maritime sector and blue economy to the nation and its people.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
(abdullahhamidgul1@gmail.com)
