KARACHI: As many as 70 midshipmen and 28 cadets of Short Service Commission (SSC) graduated from the Pakistan Naval Academy (PNA) here on Saturday.

In this connection, a commissioning parade was held at the academy to mark the graduation of the midshipmen and cadets.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, who was the chief guest, congratulated the newly commissioned officers and their parents on successful completion of their training.

According to a press release, he appreciated the parents for instilling the spirit in their children to serve the nation. He lauded the PNA for imparting quality training to cadets including cadets from friendly countries.

The naval chief highlighted the importance of staying abreast with the latest technologies, advancements in weaponry and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (Al) driven platforms.

He also underscored the contours of perpetual readiness of Pakistan Navy referring to continuous acquisitions of cutting-edge technologies and state of the art platforms for guarding the maritime frontiers.

Later, the naval chief gave away awards to the distinction holders. The prestigious Quaid-i-Azam Gold Medal was awarded to Lt Naveed Ahmed of the PN for being the best all-round officer throughout the training.

Midshipman Abdullah Waheed was declared the winner of coveted Sword of Honour, whereas, Midshipman Aftab Ahmed won the Academy’s Dirk.

Officer Cadet Muhammad Khubaib won the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gold Medal.

Officer Cadet Tmiv Thennakoon from Sri Lanka was awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal, while the Commandant Gold Medal was awarded to SSC course Officer Cadet Muhammad Danish.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2024