PM pays tribute to Pak Navy martyrs, personnel, veterans

ISLAMABAD, Sep 7 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif paid rich tributes to the martyrs, veterans and serving Pakistan Navy personnel who had rendered invaluable services and continued to do so; with their courage, sacrifices and devotion to duty in the defence of our motherland. On the occasion of Pakistan Navy Day being observed on September 8, the prime minister extended his warmest felicitations to the officers, sailors and civilians of Pakistan Navy and their families. He said 8th September served as an inspirational reminder of the nerve, valour and grit demonstrated by Pakistan Navy, during the 1965 war. It was on this day, that Pakistan Navy executed the legendary Operation SOMNATH on the Indian Naval Station, Dwarka. Against a heavily armed and larger adversary, our warships struck with absolute precision and destroyed critical shore installations of the enemy and established psychological ascendancy at sea. The presence of our submarine 'GHAZI' in the Indian Ocean further paralyzed the enemy movements etching a golden chapter in the history of naval warfare, he added. During Marka-e-Haq in 2025, the prime minister said Pakistan Navy demonstrated the same spirit and operational preparedness that deterred a numerically superior enemy from undertaking any act of aggression at sea. In contemporary strategic landscape, he observed that the responsibilities of our Navy have grown manifold. 'Pakistan Navy plays a pivotal role in securing our international sea lines of communications and vital trade routes. Given the recent heightened tensions and disruptions in maritime activities through the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan Navy once again demonstrated its resolve by ensuring uninterrupted movement of Pakistani flagged merchant vessels, especially PoL carriers, in the face of deteriorating regional security,' PM Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying. He further said beyond traditional security, Pakistan Navy actively projected soft power around the globe. Its initiatives such as Exercise AMAN and AMAN Dialogue were directed towards congregating the international Naval community under the banner, 'Together for Peace', adding similarly, Pakistan Navy enjoys strong good-will in the region through operational and technical engagements, maritime industrial linkages, mutual training exchanges and maritime diplomacy. The prime minister said, 'Today, Pakistan Navy stands as a robust and technologically advanced sentinel of our seas, having evolved with the strategic vision of its leadership and an indigenous biased modernization programme.' The successful induction of cutting edge MILGEM class corvettes, HANGOR class submarine, diverse aviation assets and indigenously built cruise and ballistic missiles reflected their resolve to equip the Naval force with niche capabilities to tackle emerging maritime challenges in an efficient and effective manner, he added. 'The Government and people of Pakistan have full confidence in the professionalism, discipline and operational readiness of Pakistan Navy. I am confident that Pakistan Navy will continue to uphold its proud traditions and discharge its responsibilities with courage, honour and distinction,' he said.