ISLAMABAD: With the development of the deep sea port at Gwadar, the Pakistan Navy (PN) is anticipating fresh security challenges. It has thus allocated a special Marine Battalion at the port for surveillance. These marines will safeguard sea links used for communication and provide protection to trade ships routing in and out of the port in the near future.
Officials briefed about the operational capabilities of the force, and the scope and scale of their operations. “Most of the Indian Ocean including Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was declared a high-risk area of piracy,” said a PN official, adding that they then enhanced security. As a result, after the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia revised limits of the piracy High-Risk Area last year, it excluded Pakistan’s EEZ.
PN officials revealed that the new division was deployed in anticipation of trade activities through Gwadar. Trade is expected to spring up under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. The battalion is an addition to the existing troops securing the coastlines of Karachi Harbour and Sir Creek areas.