India nuclearised Ocean to pursue hegemonic designs: Qureshi

KARACHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that India in pursuance of its hegemonic designs had nuclearised the Indian Ocean and continued to induct advanced weapons systems and naval delivery platforms.

Addressing the International Maritime Conference titled “Development of Blue Economy under a Secure and Sustainable Environment”, he said Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure its security and to maintain credible minimum deterrence.

He stressed that the international community needed to be cognisant of the fact that any military conflict in South Asia could endanger stability in a region that was critical for global trade flows and security. He said the Indian Ocean hosted international maritime traffic that included half of the world’s containerised cargo, one-third of its bulk cargo, and two-thirds of its oil shipments.

The foreign minister said Pakistan happens to be an important stakeholder in the Indian Ocean security framework, which included counter-piracy as well as measures against human trafficking and narcotics smuggling.

Qureshi said Pakistan was committed to promoting the prudent use of marine resources for socio-economic development while ensuring environmental sustainability. “We are ready to cooperate and collaborate with other friendly nations and partners around the world to realise this goal for mutual benefit of the entire humanity.”The foreign minister said in order to bring blue economy to the centre of national economic development paradigm, there was need to create awareness among all stakeholders about its potential economic, social and environmental benefits, and to create an enabling ecosystem to help attract investments in related sectors.

He stressed the need for concerted efforts to strengthen partnerships and collaboration among businesses, academia, research institutions, and social and environmental organisations to unlock new opportunities.

Qureshi said the idea of blue economy recognised the seas and oceans as drivers of socio-economic development and encompassed diverse fields from renewable energy to fisheries, coastal tourism, waste management, maritime transport, ocean engineering and climate change.

He described the sustainable blue economy as critical for reaping the socio-economic benefits for current and future generations with its global value estimated to be over US$ 24 trillion.

“Blessed with an over 1000-kilometre-long coastline, and a vast exclusive economic zone, Pakistan is an important maritime state with its maritime sovereignty spanned over an area of 290,000 square kilometers, around 36.4 per cent of its mainland,” he mentioned.

He said Pakistan Navy had also provided valuable assistance at the high seas to vessels in distress, including during anti-piracy operations, and had extended humanitarian assistance to regional countries on several occasions.

Qureshi said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and development of the Gwadar Port were game-changing projects that had further enhanced the geo-economic significance of Pakistan.

He said Pakistan’s Liner Shipping Connectivity Index was reasonably high (comparable to Australia), but added maritime sector required substantial investment for building, operating and enhancing its profitability.

The foreign minister congratulated Pakistan Navy for regularly hosting the multilateral maritime exercise “Aman” on a biennial basis since 2007 and mentioned that the initiative was launched to promote peace and harmony in the Indian Ocean region.He said successful conduct of this exercise was a manifestation of Pakistan’s abiding commitment and contribution to the promotion of international peace and security.