Change in the priorities of the nations of the world has re-designed their economies. In the contemporary era, steady and sound economies are indispensable for political stability. In this world of globalisation, the maritime economy or trade plays a crucial and a significant role as it assists, transforms and globalise. The maritime economy is also known as the blue economy or ocean economy, as it depends on the ocean for inputs to strengthen and boost its production process, depending on the industry as well as the geographical location.
Pakistan is situated in such a blessed region where there is both land and sea, and a lot of potential for renewable recourses. Sea is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan is located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, making it a coastal state. It executes 95 percent of its trade through blue, via its ports in Karachi and Gwadar.
Maritime affairs vastly increased after the construction of a deep-sea port at the Gwadar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan took the initiative of easy-going, peaceful business policy for renewal of the shipping industry through trade; shipment is the cheapest mode of transport. In the maritime economy of Pakistan, navy is an essential element of military power at sea to protect the strategic and national interests.
More than 15 million barrels of crude oil are shipped across the Pakistani coast from the Gulf state. Pakistan also has the shortest sea access to the Central Asian states, Afghanistan and China. Pakistan is an important littoral state. It not only reflects the pivotal and potential of Pakistan’s maritime economy but also culminates its geostrategic and geo-military importance. Fisheries also play an important role in Pakistan’s economy and have the capacity to export fish worth 500 million dollars, but unfortunately, due to the lack of concentration of government, Pakistan’s fish industries are depleting.
There is a dire need to understand the importance of the maritime sector in Pakistan. Firstly, Pakistan should realise that land resources are limited and are getting depleted all around the world in general and particularly, in developing countries with respect to population. This condition will lead us towards sea resources, Secondly, Pakistan has the potential of a 960 km coastline, which is a gateway towards the riches of the Arabian Sea. Thirdly, the marine nation has a position of superiority over landlocked countries due to better economic opportunities, which eventually results in sturdy defence.
Maritime affairs vastly increased after the construction of a deep-sea port at the Gwadar China Pakistan Economic Corridor
Fourthly, Pakistan is a blessed country with an Exclusive Economic Zone and is full of resources that cannot be fully utilised without maritime attentiveness because the sea is the cheapest way of trading. Last but not least, Pakistan has a geostrategic location that creates an enviable access to the Muslim nations of the region, and therefore, Pakistan should serve as a platform for forging greater unity.
Pakistan is a littoral state, with huge maritime potential. Our decision makers have a land-oriented mindset, and they focus very little on the maritime sector of Pakistan. It is nothing but lack of command and farsightedness. Now the time has come that Pakistan takes ample and adequate steps to develop attention towards this sector and try to make up for years of neglect. To understand maritime, we need to study the subject on the right lines and adopt a positive attitude for the betterment of the maritime economy. Pakistan as a developing state has a fragile economy. We must re-prioritise our maritime sector to gain economic benefits. Sooner or later, we will have to turn towards the sea to dig out its riches to meet state demands.
Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1976 should be revised. That is why we lag behind in enjoying various benefits and have failed to acquire the rights entitled to us under the 1982 Law of Sea Convention.
We need to focus on the coastal highway that crosses from Ormara, Pasni and Godami; they have some security issues because of the local insurgency. The highway has high potential, but it is also very unsafe; until or unless we will not take action to resolve the issue of securitisation, we may not be able to avail this world-class facility.
The access to the sea is God’s gift to our country. Sea is the backbone of a nation’s economic activity so we must give attention to the policies of maritime. The current economic condition of our country is also indicating us to enrich maritime awareness to the people of our country.
It is the right time to switch our minds from land-oriented to sea-oriented thinking. It is important to utilise our Exclusive Economic Zone to make higher benefits. The sea can provide us the much-needed economic prosperity with much less investment.
Maritime power not only includes maritime defence but also ports, merchant ships and harbours, and its related infrastructure. Therefore, we should give immediate attention to achieve better results. By delaying further in this regard means failure in economic development and weak defence of the sea border of the country. The sooner the nation manages to gain control over the prevailing environment, the better it will be for economic stability and maritime defence. There is no doubt that there are hundreds of challenges, but once it starts the economy will rise leaps and bounds.
Building a maritime sector is not an overnight task. However, if government takes steps for the development of the maritime sector in a timely manner, it may eventually become a strong maritime nation.
The writer is a scholar at National Defence University, Islamabad