KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy is always prepared and ready against all threats in the region, Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz said on Tuesday .

“We are always keeping an eye on whatever is happening around us. We are always monitoring what is happening. This is an ongoing thing, our monitoring and our readiness,” he told the media on the second day of the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference 2025 (PIMEC-25) at the Expo Centre.

He said that Pakistan would soon induct new submarines into its fleet, which will significantly contribute to national and maritime security.

“Pakistan Navy’s role in the region is to ensure maritime security and the free flow of trade in the region. The new submarines will significantly contribute to that in the coming days,” he said.

Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz pins hopes on Gwadar port

Talking about PIMEC, he termed it an effort to provide stimulus to Pakistan’s maritime sector and blue economy.

The vice admiral said that there were some maritime industries that were “less visible and less known”.

He also stressed the need for efficient port operations and hoped to see Gwadar Port fully functional soon.

“Your turnaround port time, and the size of ships that can dock there, matters, like our deep water terminal in Karachi where we can dock big ships. Gwadar is at such a strategic location that it will help significantly in transshipment and seaborne trade. A fully functional Gwadar Port will present us with huge economic opportunities in the future,” he said.

The Karachi Shipyard also has a huge presence at PIMEC-25. While speaking about it, the Vice Admiral reminded that it was built ages ago and, therefore, has a limit to the kind of ships being built there.

“The world has moved on. Shipyards in the world today are huge. We are also trying to build a shipyard on those lines in Gwadar. We hope to progress there. There was also a discussion about building a shipyard in Port Qasim. So yes, I think we need to have more shipyards. And the sooner the better,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2025