Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Thursday said Pakistan Navy celebrated 8th September as the Navy Day to pay tributes to the sacrifices of its Officers and Men who demonstrated self-belief, grit-n- guile and absolute faith in Allah SWT to venture into enemy waters and bombarded coastal town of Dwarka. In his message on the Navy Day, the Naval Chief said that on this day, we acknowledge the sacrifices of our Shuhadas and Ghazis and honour their bravado and valiant spirit which lifted the morale of the nation against a sinister enemy during the 1965 War, a Pakistan Navy (PN) news release said. During Operation Dwarka, codenamed ‘Operation SOMNATH’, Pakistan Navy’s seven major warships proceeded on an audacious mission inside enemy territory and destroyed significant shore installations including Indian radar station and a radio beacon at Dwarka. PN Flotilla’s attack took the enemy by surprise and dealt a severe blow to the morale of the Indian Navy that not only rattled its defences but paralyzed its response. Furthermore, PN Submarine GHAZI posed an ominous threat to the Indian Navy severely restricting its operations and confining it close to the coast. Pakistan Navy besides ensuring own maritime defence also maintains round the clock presence in the international waters and engages with regional navies to foster interoperability and promotes maritime security at high seas. Therefore, Pakistan Navy is acquiring state of the art capabilities to meet emerging security challenges and augmenting indigenous capabilities to transition into a strong, agile and reckonable force in the region. In the present environment, Pakistan Navy has also embarked on nation building initiatives particularly to uplift coastal communities and is making vigorous efforts to prop up Blue Economy. In this regard, Pakistan Navy organised Pakistan’s first ever Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition & Conference (PIMEC) in February this year, in collaboration with Ministry of Maritime Affairs. PIMEC witnessed participation of 22 foreign and 121 local exhibitors which is reflective of overwhelming interest towards exploitation of the vast untapped potential of Pakistan’s maritime sector. Furthermore, Pakistan Navy has launched the pilot of Pakistan Maritime Science & Technology Park (PMSTP) at Bahria University Karachi Campus, earlier this month. PMSTP aims to focus on maritime education, research, innovation and technology development by bringing together academia, industry, foreign technology firms and state institutions. These efforts are focused on the development of Blue Economy which holds enormous prospects and given the attention it deserves; it can provide a significant boost to our national economy. “As we observe Navy Day today, let us pay tribute to our Shuhadas and Ghazis for their supreme sacrifices to the nation. The Officers, CPOs/ Sailors and Civilians of Pakistan Navy reaffirm our resolve to defend our motherland and protect maritime interests against all threats and challenges. May Allah be our Guide and Protector (Ameen) PAKISTAN NAVY ZINDABAD**PAKISTAN PAINDABAD,” he ended.