Pakistan Navy on Monday inaugurated the Sea Guard-25 security exercise in Karachi, aimed at tackling challenges within the maritime sector, a statement from the Pakistan Navy said.

The second in its series, Exercise Sea Guard is a Pakistan Navy initiative aimed at bringing together representatives from the country’s diverse maritime sectors, including shipping, fisheries, law enforcement agencies, private entities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under one platform to collectively address multifaceted challenges in the maritime domain.

“During the opening brief, participants were apprised of the aims and objectives of Exercise Sea Guard, as well as the critical role of the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC) in ensuring maritime safety and security along Pakistan’s coastline,” the statement said.

It added that the exercise sought to enhance coordination among national stakeholders while operating within their respective legal frameworks, using JMICC as a common platform to strengthen the security of Pakistan’s maritime zones.

“It includes a series of practical scenario-based exercises at sea, along with table-top discussions, to refine and improve existing security mechanisms,” it said.

Representatives from sectors such as Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, Pakistan National Coast Guards, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Anti-Narcotics Force, Federal Investigation Agency, Karachi Port Trust, and Port Qasim Authority attended the event as well.

Commander Coast, Rear Admiral Faisal Amin acknowledged all the national stakeholders for their efforts to promote a safer maritime environment.

Earlier this month, the ninth Multinational Maritime Exercise Aman-25 was held at the Pakistan Navy’s Fleet Headquarters Auditorium, with participation from 60 nations.

On Feb 10, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif , while speaking during a ceremony organised by the Pakistan Navy, had said that changes taking place at the global level have had an impact on all sectors. In this era of globalisation, the role of maritime security has further increased, he added.