KARACHI: Pakistan Navy (PN) observed World Maritime Day 2017 on Thursday in coordination with International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
To celebrate the day, the PN planned a wide range of activities to acquaint the masses of its significance and raise maritime awareness, and highlight the Navy’s contributions towards the sustainable development of the country’s maritime sector. In this regard, PN arranged numerous activities including harbour cleaning, talk show, prize essay competitions, lectures, boat rallies, events in Bahria colleges and free entry for general masses in a maritime gala at Pakistan Maritime Museum, where various organisations set up their stalls.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah in his message on the occasion said that despite the fact that Pakistan was blessed with a long coastline and abundance of marine resources, the country’s realisation of this vast potential had been far from satisfactory. He added that with the onset of CPEC, maritime activities in the country will increase manifold.
This cooperation between ports and shipping industry would, therefore, he said, become even more important for the systematic development of the country’s maritime sector. The naval chief urged that the foremost need was to recognise this important aspect of the economy and create appropriate opportunities for capacity building of the people, especially the younger generation, and the maritime infrastructure to accrue long-term benefits from the maritime potential of the country.
While underscoring the need for the significance of augmentation of the maritime sector, the admiral said that PN was cognizant of the need for futuristic growth of the maritime sector in Pakistan and was leading the way in raising maritime awareness which was a fundamental imperative.