Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the launch of the state-of-the-art MILGEM Class Warship PNS Tariq was a major step towards self-reliance and indigenization in the defence sector. The prime minister, who jointly launched PNS Tariq along with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz in Karachi, said on a social media platform that the MILGEM project opened new vistas of closer collaboration between Pakistan and Turkiye and would prove to be an enduring icon of our friendship. PNS Tariq is the 4th Ship of MILGEM Class and the second one being constructed in Pakistan. The prime minister said that maritime trade activities were going to increase manifold with the growth in Pakistan’s financial and industrial base. This will create the need for additional capacity to support expansion in the maritime sector, he added. Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan remained committed to developing maritime infrastructure along the coast from Karachi to Gwadar to prepare itself as the future trade and trans-shipment hub in the region. MILGEM Class Ships will also play a crucial role in meeting our security needs, he remarked.