‘Regional security under stress due to Indo-US collaboration’

Islamabad: A national maritime conference on Monday called for a dynamic national maritime policy, modernisation of navy, and expansion of diplomatic engagement with littoral states in the Indian Ocean for peace and security and deriving maximum benefit from CPEC, says a press release.

The conference jointly organised by Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), and National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR), issued a set of 25 policy recommendations. Policy makers, legislators, maritime experts, and academics identified Indian Ocean as ‘Afro-Asian Ocean’.

The conference mulled over maritime security in view of militarisation and nuclearisation of Indian Ocean and threats to CPEC, in additional to terrorism, piracy, food security and ecology.

National Security Adviser Lt Gen (r) Nasser Janjua saying, “Inter-state tensions in the region and significant investments in blue water navies by countries like India have brought oceans into focus as sensitive security space.”