KARACHI: The steel-cutting ceremony of a 48-tonne bollard pull tug for Pakistan Navy was held at the Kar­a­chi Shipyard and Engineer­ing Works on Wednesday.

The tug is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery complying class requirements and all international standards, including international convention for the safety of life at sea and the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships. It has 25m overall length with a displa­cement of 510 tonnes, a maximum speed of 12 knots and is propelled by diesel eng­­­ines with an azimuth drive propulsion system with automated integrated machinery and tug handling system.

The ceremony was atten­ded by high-ranking officials from the government, Pakis­tan Navy, corporate sector and KS&EW. The comma­n­der Karachi, Vice Admiral Faisal Rasool Lodhi, the chief guest on the occasion, congratulated Karachi shipyard for achieving this important milestone in difficult times of the pandemic.

“The strong commitment and support of the ministry of defence production is a source of satisfaction, which is instrumental for the successful completion of this and other ongoing projects. KS&EW has a vital contribution in shaping the future outlook of Navy, besides creating job opportunities for masses. Recent years have seen substantial growth in KS&EW volume and variety of work, particularly in the domain of shipbuilding.

“The contract of this tug is another landmark event as a manifestation of the vision of the naval chief in which he underscores ut­­m­ost emphasis on indigenous defence capabilities,” he said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, KS&EW managing director Rear Admiral Athar Saleem said: “Today we bow our heads to Almighty Allah for His help and guidance which has enabled us to re­­vive the past glory of this na­­tional asset. We at KS&EW are committed to delivering high quality platforms and services to the utmost satisfaction of the end users.”

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2021