KARACHI, Aug 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday declared that “a strong and viable Navy is indispensable for obtaining conducive maritime environment”. He was addressing the opening session of Pakistan Navy’s War Game Exercise Shamsheer-i-Behr III at PNS Jauhar. He pointed out that although Pakistan is blessed with enormous maritime potential, this sector remained neglected for the past many decades.

President Musharraf said the government is cognizant of importance of sea and focused on development of maritime sector. In this regard, development of Gwadar deep seaport, he said, was a manifestation of government’s resolve for uplift of maritime sector. Gwadar port holds great potential for the country’s economy, he said.

He reiterated that the Navy has been given due priority in the Armed Forces Development Plan. The President noted that the Pakistan Navy is the only regional force that has held command of the multinational Task Force-150 twice, which is “indeed a manifestation of its professional prowess and standing internationally.”

He said these undertakings have not only helped raise stature of Pakistan but also reflected the country’s resolve towards maintaining stability in the regional maritime domain.

Earlier, in biennial exercise of Navy, in which elements of Army and Air Force are also participating, the opposing force commanders presented their concept of operations.

The War Game is designed to revalidate Navy’s operational concepts and evaluate new ones in the backdrop of emerging trends in regional and geo-strategic environment.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Ehsanul Haq, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed were present on the occasion.