Reflecting the new-found bonhomie between India and Pakistan, the Pakistan Navy has called for “constructive engagement” in the region to sort out “contentious issues.”
Making an indirect reference for Indian and Pakistani Navies to work together, he said: “A pre-requisite to make any pragmatic headway in this regard will be to resolve contentious issues and disagreements between the regional states through dialogue and political process. Such an approach could facilitate confidence building and trust between the regional countries, leading to furtherance of cooperation in combating maritime crime and enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness.”
Speaking at the maritime security conference, the Galle Dialogue 2011 at the southern port city of Galle, Rear Admiral Hasham Bin Saddique, called for the formulation of Collaborative Maritime Security Apparatus.
Calling for 'constructive-engagement' by regional and extra-regional navies against the backdrop of a recent slug-fest between an Indian and Pakistani naval vessel that played out in the north Arabian sea over the rescue of a stricken vessel with a Pakistani Captain, he said that this enables sharing of operational and doctrinal expertise, generation of interoperability and the enhancement of Maritime Domain Awareness.
“The Navy played a key role in release and rescue of MV Suez and its crew from Somali pirates. It may be mentioned the crew not only included Pakistanis but also Indians and Egyptians as well…Coupled with this, progressive capacity building of the littoral states can transform their security- related fragility into self-sufficiency. No one should aspire nor be allowed to dominate the sea and any competition between may not transgress into confrontation,” he added.
He also wanted a bigger, “more dynamic” role for Pakistan in the emerging maritime scenario in Indian Ocean thus necessitates a more dynamic role for his country. Pakistan is also pursuing development of maritime infrastructure especially along the arid Makran coast. Gwadar is a major commercial undertaking to become trans-shipment port of some reckoning in not too distant a future…It is therefore, in Pakistan’s interest to see that the environment at sea is secure and stable to pursue legitimate interests unimpeded,” said
