Naveed Miraj
There is no denying that the oceans and the seas hold a key for the present and future economic development and prosperity of all nations, as well as their security. They are the most important arteries for global trade, carrying over ninety-five percent of all goods. While the maritime industry mostly conducts its business beyond the public gaze, recent events have thrust global supply chains into the spotlight, particularly the importance of resilient and secure shipping routes.
Especially Russia-Ukraine conflict has reminded us all of the need to safeguard maritime trade. The conflict has had a terrible impact on the world’s poorest people and significantly pushed up the prices of essential commodities because of the disruption of global supply chains. Similarly, the geopolitical conflict in the South China Sea as well as the hostility of one country in the Indian Ocean, also poses a serious threat.
In this whole backdrop, the holding of the ‘Aman Exercise’ at the critical juncture by the Pakistan Navy is nothing but a glimmer of hope to promote cooperation amongst the navies and countries to effectively and collectively deal with the threats posed by piracy and armed robberies, terrorism, trafficking of different sorts including human, arms and drugs etc, illegal fishing and intentional and unlawful damage to the marine environment.
The vastness of the seas makes it extremely difficult for any one nation to deal with these diverse challenges alone. This calls for a joint effort to make sure the seas remain safe and secure for all of us to use and benefit from. Pakistan Navy has been organizing the event bi-annually ever since 2007, and its success can be gauged from the fact of its rising trajectory in terms of participation.
This year around fifty countries are participating, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United States, and China. Through Aman, Pakistan has provided a platform for adversaries to huddle together under a neutral banner for engagement in a purely apolitical environment and engage in an activity which is providing an opportunity to learn from each other’s experience and best practices to deal with threats faced by the maritime sector.
It would not be wrong to say that the Aman exercise has made its landmark in the Indian Ocean region as a symbol of sustainable peace and security, and we are confident that the event will not only consolidate the process of collaborative maritime security but also help the participating countries explore new avenues of collaboration.
Simultaneously, there is also a need to encourage bilateral naval and coast guard exercises/patrols aimed at establishing common procedures to address problems related to the maritime disorder, search, and rescue at sea, and support the protection of the marine environment. This, in turn, would contribute to stability in the region.
The 8th edition of the Aman exercise is also special and important in the context that concurrently Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference have also been organized to showcase the country’s immense maritime potential. With such kind of activities, the true potential of both Gwadar Port and China Pakistan Economic Corridor for connectivity can be best highlighted to the outside world. Doing so is also vital to give more vibrancy to our economy.
