Islamabad :The Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) on the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA), hosted a seminar on “Unlocking the Potential of Blue Economy and Pakistan’s National Security.” The seminar turned into aimed toward underscoring the importance of maritime region improvement, Pakistan’s profound dependence on maritime exchange, the untapped capacity of marine sources, and their intrinsic hyperlink to countrywide security. Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MOMA) changed into the chief guest. Distinguished speakers blanketed: Amb. Masood Khalid, former Ambassador to China; Dr. Nazir Hussain, Member Board of Directors, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo-Sri Lanka; Rear Admiral, Faisal Ali Shah (R), Honorary Research Fellow NIMA; and Vice Admiral (R) Ahmed Saeed HI(M), President, NIMA. Syed Zafar Ali Shah, in his keynote deal with, mentioned the authorities’s strategic awareness on advancing the Blue Economy, underscoring its significance for Pakistan’s maritime development. He highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance port abilities through personal quarter involvement and attract foreign funding to boost alternate and economic growth. Emphasizing the Navy’s function in strengthening countrywide defence, he pressured that internal energy is critical for external maritime influence. He additionally careworn the authorities’s commitment to improving ports thru the upcoming port master plan, which ambitions to upgrade them to deep-sea ports and enhance transit trade, especially with Central Asian republics. Syed Zafar Ali Shah addressed environmental demanding situations, such as the need to fight pollutants in Karachi. The improvement of Gwadar turned into emphasised as important for Baluchistan’s development and stability. He also enumerated steps for the enlargement of shipbuilding and port centers at Port Qasim and Gwadar and using ports for tourism, oil extraction, and renewable electricity. In his welcome feedback, Amb. Sohail Mahmood emphasized the Blue Economy’s pivotal function in strengthening Pakistan’s countrywide protection and riding long-time period monetary resilience and boom. He specified Pakistan’s widespread maritime property, which include its prolonged Arabian Sea coastline, diverse marine lifestyles, and rich reserves of hydrocarbons, minerals, and fisheries. He highlighted the demanding situations and deficiencies inside the policy and institutional frameworks hindering the total development of Blue Economy and burdened the want to regularly shift the focus from a generally continental mind-set to maritime area. Sustainable management of marine resources, with due interest to environmental considerations, became important for financial boom. So changed into the improvement of ocean-based totally industries. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood additionally stressed the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean Region and Pakistan’s key function at a prime global change crossroads, with Gwadar Port playing a important position within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He stated Pakistan concerns over the function assigned to India in the ‘Indo-Pacific’ assemble and referred to as for a comprehensive technique regarding diplomatic, technological, and safety techniques to hold nearby stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s dedication to advancing maritime interests for sustainable boom and countrywide security. Earlier, in his introductory feedback, Director ACDC Malik Qasim Mustafa highlighted the significance of the Blue Economy. He stated that Pakistan should prioritize the Blue Economy as a brand new area for funding and a essential element for sustainable financial hobby. True utilization of Pakistan’s marine assets can help the us of a obtain sustainable financial increase. He introduced that making sure the safety of its sea lines of conversation would contribute closer to strengthening Pakistan’s countrywide safety as its exchange and electricity lifeline became seaborne and any disruption in it is able to seriously impede its countrywide protection, improvement, and economic growth. To overcome several associated challenges within the maritime area Pakistan wishes to construct an effective maritime policy. Amb. Masood Khalid elaborated on the geo-strategic significance of the Arabian Sea in the context of ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategic idea. He referred to the Arabian Sea’s crucial role in global change and defined the Indian Ocean as comprising 20 percent of the world’s water. He highlighted extensive non-conventional threats and strategic imbalances from the U.S.-India cooperation in addition to ASEAN’s protection issues. With India running on turning into a dominant naval pressure and the U.S. Looking for to contain China, Amb. Masood Khalid outlined demanding situations to regional balance. He cited NATO’s “China risk” designation and latest China-Philippines clashes as ability challenges on this context. Dr. Nazir Hussain shared his insights on harnessing the Blue Economy for sustainable financial growth. He highlighted the important function of maritime resources in global alternate and country wide safety, emphasizing Pakistan’s underutilization of its over 1,000 km coastline and considerable Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). He stressed that Pakistan stays “sea-blind” and underutilizes its maritime capability. He advised a shift from land-primarily based to sea-based strategies to unencumber US$one hundred billion in untapped sources, advocating for national recognition and strategic tasks to harness the Blue Economy. Rear Admiral Syed Faisal Ali Shah addressed maritime protection, discussing both demanding situations and possibilities. He highlighted the ‘Indo-Pacific’ Strategy’s function in countering China’s affect and its capacity to increase nearby tensions. He expressed challenge about India’s advancements in navy AI and missile generation and the impacts of climate trade on sea stages and biodiversity. Despite those troubles, he stated opportunities to overcome ‘sea blindness’, boosting regional cooperation, and selling coastal tourism. Vice Admiral (Retd) Ahmed Saeed, in his concluding feedback, highlighted the critical gaps in knowledge Pakistan’s Blue Economy, stressing its ethical ties to surroundings protection. He emphasized the need to depoliticize Gwadar, improve fisheries exports, and decorate port visibility and security. He endorsed for using small coastal ships for green transit and careworn higher useful resource allocation for the powerful implementation of guidelines. Amb. Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BoG ISSI, in his vote of thanks, highlighted the vital connection between maritime possibilities and countrywide security. He emphasized that addressing security demanding situations is important to maximizing Pakistan’s maritime capacity. The seminar became attended by means of teachers, diplomats, practitioners, students and individuals of the suppose-tank network and the media.
