Navy’s coastal command efficiency parade held

The Pakistan Navy’s Coastal Command Annual Efficiency Competition Parade was held at PNS Qasim, Manora, on Friday. Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat graced the occasion as chief guest, said a press release issued by the Directorate Public Relations of the navy.

The efficiency competition parade is conducted annually by the Coastal Command of the Pakistan Navy to mark the achievements of its operational year wherein efficiency shields are awarded to the selected units based on their achievements throughout the year.

While addressing the officers and CPOs, sailors, the chief guest said that the Coastal Command had been entrusted with the onerous task of safeguarding the coastal areas from Sir Creek to Jiwani, under the challenging internal and external security situation.

The admiral further said that the Coastal Command was fully geared up for the challenges of the CPEC and operationalisation of the Gwadar port. While taking stock of the overall security situation, Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat stated that the Pakistan Navy was fully aware of the external and internal threats the country was faced with.

He remarked that as a result of the untiring collective efforts of the nation during the last many years, Pakistan had been able to eradicate the menace of terrorism to a greater extent. This effort, however, required constant struggle and the navy was ready to defend the motherland from all external and internal threats at all costs.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Commander Coast Rear Admiral Moazzam Ilyas highlighted the operational achievements of the Coastal Command and spoke about activities undertaken during 2017.

He said that the Coastal Command, besides operational activities, had actively participated in several major exercises, including AMAN 2017, BURQ-VII, Tahafuz-E-Sahil, Joint Exercises with International Special Forces Difa-E-Sahil and Air Defence Guns Firing.

Later, the chief guest gave away efficiency shields to the units for their overall best performance during 2017. The ceremony was attended by a large number of senior naval officers, CPOs and sailors.