ORMARA: Commander Jinnah Naval Base (JNB) Commodore Sardar Amjad Mehmood on Wednesday said the base was being equipped with modern facilities and gadgets to meet all future needs of the country.
In a media briefing at the base, he said that the JNB was the second home port after Karachi where all logistic and technical support for berthing Pakistan Navy (PN) ships and even submarines was available.
“PN is building JBN as an alternative arrangement to the Karachi base keeping in view all defence requirements,” he said while highlighting strategic location of the Jinnah base-situated 350 kilometres west of Karachi and 285 kilometres east of the Gwadar Port being connected with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said that efforts were underway to provide all facilities, available at the Karachi Naval Base, with their upgraded versions at the JNB, adding that different workshops were also being held there for removing major faults developing in ships.
The nature has given a complete security cover to JNB as it is covered by sea from two sides and a hill with 1580 height, eight meter length and two kilometre width standing on its third side. On top of the hill, called `Hammer Mountain’ due to its shape, PN’s surveillance unit RDS-Mianwali is stationed to keep an eye on movements taking place in the sea area.
Commenting on social activities of PN in Ormara, the JNB Commander said different measures had been taken for betterment of the locals. Elaborating, he said, a Navy Cadet College had been set in Ormara where 50 per cent 50 per cent recruitment was made from Balochistan under its district-quota system, while 50 percent cadets were enrolled from other provinces of the country.
Besides, he said a Bahria Model School was working to impart quality education to Baloch children - both boys and girls, adding that brilliant students were supported for higher studies in Karachi and join Pakistan Navy after completing their studies. The school is run on donations, financial support of the provincial government and under the scheme Chief of Naval Staff scheme ‘Adopt A Child’. “Presently, Navy officers are paying expenses of 100 children under the scheme,” he added. Commander Amjad said that PN had also set up a full-fledged hospital in Ormara which was equipped with various facilities like emergency department, trauma center, intensive care unit, medical specialists, labour room, operation theatre and pharmacy.
“All education and health facilities are being provided to locals free of charge,” he said and added that locals were also given employment in Navy services to mitigate their financial problems and sense of deprivation.
Later, journalists from both print and electronic media visited the Cadet College and witnessed recruits’ assembly in which they performed different drills, read out the national anthem, changed the national-flag and raised full-throated slogan “Allah Ho Akbar”.
Principal Cadet College Captain Masoodul Hassan briefed the media team that presently 172 recruits were getting education and training and the institute was affiliated with the Federal Board of Education. During the visit to the PNS Daraman Jah Hospital, Surgeon Dr Commanding Officer Faisal Imran Malik informed that around 172,000 patients had so far been treated there during last four years. He said the hospital was also providing complete medical cover to patients coming from Pasni, Jewani and Turbat coastal areas round-the-clock.
Earlier, on arrival at the JNB, journalists witnessed cadet paratroopers jumping from a helicopter as part of their ongoing training. The media team was also taken to the Bahria Model School to acquaint them about standard of education being imparted to children of Ormara by a highly qualified faculty.