NIMA all set to Co-Host AMAN-2025 Dialogue – Starting Work on Gwadar Efficiency – Tourism in Balochistan

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    Tazeen Akhtar

    (The writer has been contributing in Navy News on Naval diplomacy, environment protection activities of Pak Navy etc. He covered AMAN -2019. He is working on Defense beat for two decades. He is member Media Safety Committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors CPNE. He brings out English international magazine Pakistan in the World from Islamabad. His article is published in Hilal magazine of ISPR)

    National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) is starting work on the formulation of policy recommendations for Gwadar port regarding its security, connectivity with the sea and other related matters. Chief of Naval Staff Pakistan has approved the expansion of NIMA’s activities to Gwadar. NIMA will host an International Conference in Gwadar in the near future to highlight the importance of this port in the world.

    Another good news for Pakistani Maritime sector is building of first indigenous ship after the title of the Founder of Pakistan, Mr. Jinnah.The Jinnah Ship will be a 2 thousand ton ship according to the international standards of maritime trade.

    Vice Admiral Ahmed Saeed, President NIMA, disclosed above mentioned developments in an interactions with journalists at the Institute on 23 Jan 2024. Pakistan Navy is holding its biannual event AMAN Exercise 2025 in 7-11 Feb 25.

    This year the pinnacle of the AMAN Exercise is the holding of AMAN Dialogue 2025 in which Global Maritime Leadership, Practitioners, Academics and Industrialist will deliberate strategies to meet the common challenges in Maritime domain with the theme “Secure Seas – Prosperous Future”.

    NIMA being the co-host, held a curtain raiser, offering a comprehensive overview of its objectives and significance. Dr. Baber Bilal Haider, VP NIMA shared the purpose of the Dialogue and underscored the importance of holding such event.

    On the occasion, NIMA unveiled AMAN Dialogue logo which depicts a new dawn of hope and collaborative progress, lighting the path toward a secure and prosperous maritime future. It also shows the importance of Navies’ crucial role in protecting sea lanes, emphasizing peaceful coexistence, healthy ecosystems & shared responsibility. The main theme of logo is to propagate necessity of fostering a secure & prosperous future.

    While taking the questions, Vice Admiral Ahmed Saeed, President NIMA, emphasized the importance of strengthening maritime partnerships and advancing sustainable development, while also highlighting the media’s pivotal role in disseminating the Dialogue’s message to broader audiences. The event concluded with a ‘vote of thanks’. The event was well attended by representatives of academia & media community including print, electronic and social media.

    NIMA is working in 40 different areas that highlights the diversified activities of this important institute. Thanks to the extraordinary researches in different sectors related to maritime affairs, NIMA has achieved milestones in recent months. NIMA is about to become the sixth think tank on the advisory board of National Security Council of Pakistan. NIMA participated in COP29 as a think tank that speaks a lot about NIMA’s working on environment and climate change.

    February 2019 Pakistan in the World

    Vice Admiral Ahmed Saeed, President NIMA, shared that environment is being considered as security issue in the dialogue. It is a theme in AMAN-2025. Here it is worth mentioning that Pakistan Navy takes active part in the restoration of environment in the sea and on the coastal side as well. Cleanliness and plantation drives are carried out by Navy with participation of civil society and especially the youth.

    As NIMA is accepting the challenges in Gwadar and playing its role in solution, China is attaching more importance to NIMA. The institute was co-chair in China Pakistan Maritime Conference. Earlier NIMA participated as speaker only and read a paper that was adopted by the Chinese organizers.

    President NIMA pleasantly noted and welcomed the description of Blue Economy in Uraan Pakistan program. He said , ” Total share of blue economy in the world economy is 6%. Pakistan should have a share of $28 to 30 Billion from blue economy but it is only $1.5 Billion. It is the lowest in South Asia. Pakistan can minimize the economic crisis by tapping the potential of blue economy.”

    He said that Africa is attracting the foreign direct investments. Turkiye is big investor there. Now China is investing there billions of dollars. Africa is the focus of Pakistan as well.

    President NIMA said, ” Indian ocean has a promising geography. On East , there are big economies and manufacturing countries like ASEAN and on West , there is African continent that is the center of foreign business ventures.”

    February 2019 Pakistan in the World

    To a question from this scribe about tourism as part of blue economy and up gradation of islands into tourist resorts, President NIMA responded in positive and shared that work on such a policy has been started. We have a session with the leaders of Balochistan during AMAN Dialogue. We will discuss how coastal tourism can be promoted on the coastline of this province. He also mentioned islands near Karachi for the tourism purpose.

    ” The world is earning almost 10 % of their economies from the coastal or marine tourism. Pakistan can benefit from this potential, Vice Admiral Ahmad said.

    It is not possible in Pakistan that people talk on defense and do not discuss India Pakistan. Therefore, this scribe shared as a comment that the situation in Indian Ocean including Bay of Bengal has improved for Pakistan because Maldives and Sri Lanka are not toeing Indian agenda while Bangladesh has also transformed it into a Not Pro India nation.

    President NIMA , to a question in the same context from this scribe about Madagascar island , replied that Madagaskar is aliened to India along with Mauritius and Seychelles islands. India gathered them around her chanting a slogan of prosperity and security for all. But matter of fact is the slogan proved to be shallow as there is no guarantee of security from India to these islands.

    Despite a known fact that India can and will never participate in AMAN exercise , a journalist extraordinarily emphasized to invite India as well. President NIMA took the question patiently and replied, ” We can invite India but first we have to see how reciprocal and respectfully India takes it.”

    He presented example of cricket and sought attention of the journalist to see how India is responding in the sports. India is not ready to send her players to Pakistan. India is not willing that any player wear a Pakistani shirt even during the game. He questioned in response , what margin India has left for us to invite her?

    Pakistan in the World – December 2024

    Pakistan is responsible for marine security of the sea upto 200 Nautical miles. Pakistan earlier had a sea territory of 240 thousand square kilometer that was enhanced under UN arrangement with addition of more 50 thousand KM2. Now it is 290 thousand KM2 that is equal to larger than Punjab and equal to Balochistan. Pakistan has to see the matters of security and face other challenges as well in this fifth province like marine territory with limited resources. Therefore it is a big task for Navy and NIMA to deliver here.

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