32-ton tug handed over to Pakistan Navy at Karachi Shipyard

The handing over ceremony of 32 tons’ bollard pull tug built for the Pakistan Navy was held at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW), a press release issued by the navy said on Wednesday.

Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, vice chief of naval staff, graced the occasion as chief guest. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from the government, the Pakistan Navy, the corporate sector and the KS&EW.

The 32-ton BP tug has a 34-meter length with displacement of 481 tons. It has the maximum speed of 12 knots and propelled by 2 x diesel engines and the same number of Azimuth thrusters. It is fitted with a very robust fendering arrangement for all-round tugging operations of almost all sizes of ships and crafts of the Pakistan Navy.

On the occasion, the chief guest, Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, said that it was indeed a clear manifestation of the vision of the Pakistan Navy to pursue self-reliance in the field of ship construction.

He appreciated the Ministry of Defence Production and the Karachi Shipyard for their valuable contribution towards attaining the goal of self-reliance in the field of ship-building. He said that the Karachi Shipyard was one of the few public sector industries which had made a remarkable turnaround in the last decade and was playing a pivotal role in supporting all components of the national maritime sector.

He said that the inception of the CPEC project had created many opportunities for the growth of local industries. The public sector industries like shipyards should avail this opportunity and help create more jobs and play their role in national development, he said.

Earlier, KS&EW MD Syed Hasan Nasir Shah, in his welcome address, thanked the Pakistan Navy and the MoDP for their continued support. He said that no foreign assistance had been sought for this project as it had been completed with self-sufficiency in all phases of construction.

He briefed the audience about the ongoing shipbuilding and ship-repair activities at the KS&EW. He highlighted that presently the KS&EW was undertaking 6 x shipbuilding projects. He further stated that the first export order of 8 x sugar mill rollers to Philippines and Thailand through an American company, CSI, had also been delivered this year. Lastly, he said that each and every worker of the Karachi Shipyard was ready, prepared and committed to completing these challenging projects on time while meeting all quality standards.