KEY POINTS
- Strategic location places Pakistan at centre of global sea routes.
- Karachi–Gwadar ports link Central Asia to global trade networks.
- Maritime security and economic development are mutually reinforcing.
- Pakistan advances AI-enabled maritime monitoring with SUPARCO support.
- Pakistan seeks EU cooperation for protecting critical maritime infrastructure.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has cautioned that oceans must not become arenas for “exclusionary or hegemonic arrangements,” urging states to uphold international law and pursue cooperative, transparent and sustainable maritime practices
Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs event in Brussels on maritime infrastructure, security and connectivity, he said Pakistan’s strategic location along major international sea lanes and the northern Arabian Sea — its “fifth neighbour” — placed it at the heart of global trade and regional connectivity.
“From Karachi to Gwadar, our ports are gateways linking the landlocked heart of Central Asia to the global trading system,” he said.
He stressed that maritime security and economic development are mutually reinforcing, noting that the Arabian Sea remained central to Pakistan’s national security, food and energy supplies, and economic resilience.
Highlighting a fast-evolving threat landscape, he said, “Today’s maritime challenges are multidimensional and transnational, ranging from piracy, terrorism and arms and narcotics trafficking to cyber vulnerabilities, marine pollution and climate-induced risks to coastal zones.”
He called for stronger cooperation, information-sharing, early-warning systems and wider maritime awareness among states.
Outlining Pakistan’s three-point approach to a secure and sustainable maritime domain, he said that global oceans must remain cooperative spaces — not theatres of hegemony.
“States should discard exclusionary frameworks and strengthen collaboration under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, regional agreements and customary international law,” he said, adding that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully.
He went to say that connectivity must be linked with resilience. Critical maritime infrastructure, he noted, should be developed with diversification and redundancy mechanisms, ensuring that disruption in one region does not trigger global cascading effects.
“Maritime development must embrace technology and international partnerships. Pakistan has upgraded its Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre, integrating satellite monitoring and AI-enabled vessel tracking with SUPARCO’s support,” he said, expressing the hope for enhanced cooperation with international partners in this area.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was keen to deepen cooperation with the European and partner countries on technology transfer, regulatory exchanges and capacity-building to protect critical maritime infrastructure.
“Our vision is straightforward. We want seas to remain zones of peace, prosperity and shared progress where connectivity builds resilience, not rivalry.”
