Daily Times

GWADAR: Security of maritime components of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a top priority of the Pakistan Navy, said a PN statement on Tuesday.

Subsequent to formal inauguration of the Gwadar Port on Sunday, the cargo shipment were set off from the world’s largest deep-sea port under the protection of the PN ships.

The first mega pilot project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) successfully kicked off when the first ever cargo containers arrived from Kashgar to Gwadar. The cargo containers were subsequently exported to Middle East and African countries. Pakistan Navy, being cognisant of its responsibility to make the maritime component of CPEC and Gwadar Port safe, deployed its ships and aircraft to provide security cover so as to ensure safe and secure trade transit in international waters, the statement added.

It said the success of the CPEC and the Gwadar Port project was linked to safe and secure maritime environment in the Indian Ocean region in general and in the Arabian Sea in particular.

With the operationalisation of the Gwadar Port, the maritime traffic to and from Pakistani ports is expected to increase manifold; therefore, the Pakistan Navy has adopted a multi-pronged approach to deal with the prevailing challenges such as beefing up security at the Gwadar Port, conducting security patrols and coastal exercises, enhancing maritime domain awareness and engaging law enforcement agencies.

The Pakistan Navy also vowed to remain fully committed and geared up to provide a conducive environment to uninterrupted flow of the maritime trade in the exclusive economic zone.