KARACHI, Oct 7: The new chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Mohammad Afzal Tahir, said that the responsibilities of the Pakistan Navy at sea had increased manifold with the passage of time and with the turn of events in this part of the world.

He was speaking at the change of command ceremony at the Naval Complex here on Friday.

The new naval chief said that it was our duty to discharge these responsibilities to the best of our abilities and to the satisfaction of the government and the people of Pakistan.

Admiral Tahir said that the primary role of the navy as a potent fighting force was to maintain optimum preparedness at all times.

The admiral said that while the navy today could boast of a wide variety of military hardware in its inventory, it should not be forgotten that it was the quality of fighting men that was the real force multiplier.

Their courage in difficult situations and willingness to work beyond the call of duty are great assets indeed, he added.

He emphasized that we must be fully prepared to fight and prevail through the attributes of superior training, professional excellence and above all faith in our cause.

Bidding farewell to the outgoing naval chief, he said that Admiral Shahid Karimullah, had been a distinguished naval chief who had served the Pakistan Navy for four decades with wisdom and skills and shall be remembered for long.

In his farewell address the outgoing naval chief Admiral Shahid Karimullah said, that by the grace of Allah, the navy today stood as an effective and efficient arm of the country’s armed forces, fully capable of protecting our maritime interests and maintaining deterrence.—PPI