ISLAMABAD: (Parliament Times) President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan has said that Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is truly a milestone in the history of mankind which will pave the way for promoting regional connectivity and shaping up a new civilization of coexistence.
The President – as the keynote speaker – made these remarks while addressing the 2nd International Maritime Symposium on the “Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the Geo-economics of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Prospects for Pakistan, the
Region and Beyond” organized by the Institute of Maritime Affairs here in Islamabad. The event was graced by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the chief guest. The event was presided and hosted by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi.
The President during his address congratulated the Institute of Maritime Affairs and the Bahria University for organizing this timely and substantive seminar which he said would help shape
the mindset relating to maritime trade unleashing Pakistan’s full potential.
President Masood Khan said that the BRI is a global initiative not just restricted to Pakistan or the Indian Ocean.
He added that BRI encompasses 68 countries, 62 percent of the world population and one-third of the world’s GDP spanning three continents – Asia, Africa and Europe – launching a new wave of connectivity and inclusive economic prosperity.
Highlighting the importance of Pakistan in the project, he said that due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor we assume a position of centrality and pre-eminence in the project as
we will provide China direct land access to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The BRI will have huge transformative effects that will propel economic and social development activities in and around the Indian Ocean Region.
The BRI project, said the President, will inject fresh impetus to global growth creating new supply chains in the Indian Ocean by accelerating the pace of economic activity in and around the
Indian Ocean. He said under this initiative, plans are underway to invest US $ 1 trillion in infrastructure, energy and industrial projects on an unprecedented scale.
President AJK said that the Indian Ocean will no longer be considered by India as its exclusive domain where previously it would give limited and conditional access to other nations. Now,
he said, the Indian Ocean will be shared by all for use of marine resources, enhanced economic activity, investment, trade and maritime security.
President Masood Khan highlighting the importance of maritime trade, said that our seaports are a great asset towards making Pakistan a focal point of commercial and transit trade activity
in the region. He added that Pakistan is passing through a phase of economic
transformations that will revolutionize national and international trade, development and generate huge employment opportunities throughout Pakistan.
Underscoring the priorities of Pakistan in the general backdrop of these developments, the President said that, firstly, we must formulate a comprehensive long-term foreign policy on the Indian Ocean region which should be an integral part of our current
foreign policy. IOR, he said, will face existing and new threats that include piracy, terrorism, proxy wars and spying. He said that global warming and heating up of the Indian Ocean must be tackled which threatens biodiversity in these waters and the evident fear that smaller island states in the Indian Ocean risk extinction.
Secondly, by opting for the Gwadar Port and CPEC, Pakistan has to ensure completion of CPEC projects on time, strengthening Pakistan Navy, and to prepare other security agencies for ensuring maritime security of the merchandise, seafarers and personnel in the
sea lanes in front of Pakistan’s coastline and beyond. By building a larger naval presence in the IOR, Pakistan has to rethink and rebuild its conventional and strategic naval capabilities proportionately to fit the new role.
Third, he emphasized building and strengthening of our maritime apparatus to protect sea lanes carrying Pakistani and international merchandise, and to fight off piracy, terrorism, and subversion.
Fourth, conduct advanced oceanographic surveys of the waters around Pakistan’s coastline with the help of the National Institute Oceanography. He said till now, Pakistan had a mindset of a
landlocked country but with the expansion of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to 350 nautical miles, the total area under Pakistan maritime control for economic exploitation has dramatically increased and with effective investment in the EEZ we can easily double the size of Pakistan’s economy.
Fifth, we must equip the ports of Karachi and Bin Qasim with the latest technology, further increasing their dredging capacity and modernizing port management and operations.
Simultaneously, he said, we must focus on the development of modern ports at Pasni, Ormara, Gadani, and Jiwani.
Sixth, along with CPEC, Pakistan needs to explore two supplementary corridors of its own connecting it to West Asia and Africa. The West Asian corridor could go via Iran to Central Asia to
Moscow and via Iran to Turkey to Europe, and the second corridor would pass through or around the Gulf region and penetrate into Africa.
Seventh, Pakistan should further strengthen its all-weather friendship and strategic cooperative partnership with China simultaneously developing and maintaining good relations with the
U.S, Russia and Europe and littoral states in the Indian Ocean.
Finally, Pakistan’s universities, business schools and general schooling systems should be re-designed and retooled to equip them with contemporary evolving scientific, technological knowledge and corporate competencies to make the human resource development
compatible with the changing role of Pakistan in the region’s economic growth.
President Masood Khan urged moving prudently and systematically in making its coastline a “coastal axis” for the BRI and the Indian Ocean Region enabling a deep influence on the emerging geo-economics of the region.
The event was attended by National Security Advisor of Pakistan Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Nasir Khan Janjua, Director Centre for Pakistan Studies Peking University Professor Tang Mengsheng, Rector Bahria University Vice Admiral (R) Muhammad Shafiq, senior scholars, academicians and researchers.