KARACHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Monday said in pursuance of its hegemonic designs, India had nuclearised the Indian Ocean and continued to induct advanced weapon systems and naval delivery platforms. He said this while addressing the International Maritime Conference titled “Development of Blue Economy under a Secure and Sustainable Environment”.
Qureshi said Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure its security and to maintain credible minimum deterrence.
He said the Indian Ocean was the world’s third-largest water body and while retaining its significance for the global security, it represented an increasingly important avenue for global trade.
He said the Indian Ocean hosted international maritime traffic that included half of the world’s containerised cargo, one-third of its bulk cargo and two-thirds of its oil shipments. He said the Indian Ocean offered promising potential for mutual cooperation and collaboration.
However, he pointed that the geo-strategic competition and pursuit of military dominance by some states had gravely jeopardised that potential.
In particular, India’s belligerent and aggressive policies currently driven by an extremist Hindutva ideology pose an immediate and pervasive threat to the international and regional peace and security, he said.
He stressed that the international community must be cognizant of the fact that any military conflict in South Asia could endanger stability in a region that was critical for global trade flows and security.
Recognising the importance of world’s oceans as global public commodity, he said Pakistan was committed to promoting the prudent use of marine resources for socio-economic development, besides ensuring environmental sustainability.
“We are ready to cooperate with other friendly nations and partners around the world to realize this goal for mutual benefit of the entire humanity,” Qureshi said.
“To bring the blue economy to the center of national economic development paradigm, there is need to create awareness among all stakeholders about its potential economic, social and environmental benefits, and to create an enabling ecosystem to help attract investments in related sectors.”
He said as part of economic diplomacy initiatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s Missions abroad, in collaboration with the concerned ministries, had been actively engaged in attracting investments to the maritime sector.
He stressed the need for concerted efforts to strengthen partnerships and collaboration among businesses, academia, research institutions and social and environmental organisations to unlock new opportunities.
The foreign minister said the idea of blue economy recognised the seas and oceans as drivers of socio-economic development and encompassed diverse fields from renewable energy to fisheries, coastal tourism, waste management, maritime transport, ocean engineering and climate change.
He termed the sustainable blue economy critical for reaping the socio-economic benefits for current and future generations with its global value estimated to be over US$24 trillion.
He said blessed with an over 1,000 kilometer coastline, and a vast exclusive economic zone, Pakistan was an important maritime state with its maritime sovereignty spanned over an area of 290,000 square kilometers, around 36.4 percent of its mainland.
He mentioned that Pakistan was an important stakeholder in the Indian Ocean security framework, which included counter-piracy as well as human trafficking and narcotics smuggling.
He said the Pakistan Navy had also provided valuable assistance at the high seas to vessels in distress, including during the anti-piracy operations, and had extended humanitarian assistance to regional countries on several occasions.
Qureshi said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and development of the Gwadar Port were game-changing projects that had further enhanced the geo-economic significance of Pakistan.
The Gwadar Port, which occupies a strategic location overlooking the Strait of Hormuz and the North Arabian Sea, has the potential to develop into a full-fledged regional hub and a trans-shipment port, he said.
The minister said it placed Pakistan at a point of convergence, linking active sea-lanes to landlocked Central Asian Republics for shipment of oil, coal and agricultural products.
He said the Gwadar Port provided new vistas for businesses, adding that extraction of life-saving medicines, coastal tourism, and the development of coastal real estate were industries that were attracting investment, both local and foreign.
According to one estimate, coastal tourism in Pakistan can contribute US$ 4 billion to the economy, he said. He congratulated the Pakistan Navy for regularly hosting the Multilateral Maritime Exercise, AMAN, on a biennial basis since 2007 and mentioned that the initiative was launched to promote peace and harmony in the Indian Ocean region.
He said successful conduct of this exercise was a manifestation of Pakistan’s abiding commitment and contribution to the promotion of international peace and security.
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