KARACHI, Jan 13: The National Centre of Maritime Policy Research will help get data regarding off shore resources on which economic and other policies can be formulated. Speakers at the centre’s inauguration at the Bahria University on Saturday said that the centre would fill the vacuum of a dedicated research forum where the policymakers, academia, stakeholders or maritime industry and government functionaries shall meet to discuss, critically analyse and develop maritime strategies and policies for the benefit of the country.

Defence Minister Rao Sikander Iqbal speaking on the occasion said Pakistan has a 1,046 kilometres long coastline, an exclusive economic zone of over 240,000 square kilometre and is located at a strategic position across the main Indian Ocean trade routes through which a bulk of global fuel supplies pass, and all these factors offer a tremendous potential for future economic growth of the country.

He said the country needs to invest heavily in maritime capacity building to safeguard, project and protect its maritime interests at the global level.

Naval chief Admiral M. Afzal Tahir said that with the gradual shrinking of land resources, the oceans are gaining importance for food security and sustaining economic prosperity, stressing for recognition of economic, political and environmental value of oceans, including shipping and related industries, offshore energy resources, fisheries, etc.

He said unfortunately, the country had neither played a major role in global markets, port operations, merchant shipping, nor featured significantly in the international logistics chains. He said it was also far behind in marine technology and unable to explore the enormous wealth of ocean resources.

He called for establishing more such institutions to produce qualified personnel in ship building, modern merchant and fishing fleets, ports management, international maritime laws and global maritime trade.

Responding to questions he said the navy was fully prepared to face any challenge and under a modernisation plan new technology and equipment was being inducted in the force.