KARACHI: The keel laying ceremony of 32-tonne Bollard Pull (BP) tug, being built for the Pakistan Navy, was held at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects), was the chief guest on the occasion. The tug has a 34-metre overall length with displacement of 481 tonnes with a maximum speed of 12 knots. It is also fitted with a very robust fendering arrangement for tugging operations of almost all sizes of ships and craft. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest highly appreciated the achievement of this important milestone and said that the construction of the BP Tug is indeed a clear manifestation of the Navy’s vision to pursue self-reliance in ship construction. He acknowledged the all out support of the Ministry of Defence Production and strenuous efforts of Karachi Shipyard towards attaining this goal. Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini highlighted how Pakistan Navy is pursuing new inductions of platforms with focus on indigenisation and is continuously awarding contracts to KS&EW for construction of ships. This will not only ensure timely availability of required ships for PN but will also go a long way in consolidating the shipbuilding industry in Pakistan. Earlier, Rear Admiral Syed Hasan Nasir Shah, MD KS&EW said that a similar vessel was delivered to PN in 2014 andis performing exceptionally well. He also gave a brief overview of ongoing projects and statedpresently KS&EW is undertaking 9 shipbuilding projects which include a Fleet tanker for PN, MPVs for Pakistan Maritime Agency, Fast Attack Craft (Missile), Multi Purpose Barge for PN and Bridge Erection Boats for Pak Army. MD KS&EW also thanked Ministry of Defence Production (Government of Pakistan) and especially Pakistan Navy for reposing confidence in KS&EW. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from GoP, Pakistan Navy, the corporate sector and KS&EW.