KARACHI, June 29: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza has said Pakistan is a peace-loving country and does not want war but our ambition for peace should not be regarded as a weakness. “The Pakistan Navy along with the Army and the Air Force is ever ready to take on the enemy with full force if it opts for aggression,” he said, while addressing the 77th midshipmen’s commissioning parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy here on Saturday.

The chief of the naval staff said the government was making concerted efforts to expand the maritime sector by improving the existing ports, developing new ports at Makran coast and constructing new coastal highway, which are some of the major steps in this direction.

He said the geo-political environment of the region demanded highest state of preparedness and required a well-trained naval force equipped with high quality modern naval platforms.

The naval chief said that Pakistan Navy had made considerable headway for achieving self-reliance in the vital field of naval oriented defence production.

He said it was a matter of pride for the nation that “we are building fast patrol craft, missile boats, mine-hunters, midgets and the state-of-the-art Agosta-90B submarines indigenously,” he observed and added: “We also have necessary technology to construct larger warships and will undertake the project very soon.”

Admiral Mirza urged the passing-out midshipmen to strive hard to keep abreast with the rapid technological advancement taking place in the field of weaponry and modern naval warfare. He said it will not only earn them self-respect and good reputation but also equip them with the professional excellence required for a competent and honourable naval officer.

Earlier, commandant of the Pakistan Naval Academy, Commodore Mohammad Zakaullah, highlighted the salient features of the training. He said character building was a vital part of training of cadets at the academy and the training staff laid special emphasis on inculcating in them the leadership qualities. He said he hoped that these young officers would prove themselves worthy of trust reposed in them.—APP/PPI