On May 9, 2024, during a routine maritime security patrol in the North Arabian Sea, PNS Yarmook responded to a distress call from a vessel. Upon reaching the scene, the crew found an Iranian fishing boat engulfed in flames with its crew scattered in the water. Yarmook swiftly rescued the nine crew members, extinguished the fire, and brought them to safety. This operation followed a similar rescue in February 2024, where Yarmook saved nine Indian seamen stranded on an ocean tug 167 nautical miles southeast of Karachi. Such missions highlight the the Pakistan Navy’s role as a pragmatic first responder, ready to act in both domestic and international maritime crises.
The navies, in fact are natural first responders, as these operate in a medium, that inherently is international in character affording maritime operations under the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, 1982. The sea provides reach, flexibility and ability to remain poised to the naval forces, without legal complexities and violation of sovereignty of other states. Air and land may be restricted for the passage of men and material, but the sea remains open even in a contested environment. This allows the navies to respond to domestic and international crises with speed and effectiveness. When it comes to ‘sea-land binary,’ we know that the activities at sea are too tightly connected with what happens over land as the situation in Palestine and Yemen signifies to this fact. This is exactly what Julian Corbett posited in 1910s that at the core of a maritime strategy was to ‘influence events at land’ by acting at or from the sea.
In our region, the Arabian Sea carries an immense geostrategic significance. Today it, arguably, has the largest presence of international navies and is surrounded by regions replete with conflicts and crises of diverse nature. The Arabian Sea has been witnessing an enhanced international footprint post-9/11, where the concerns of terrorism, piracy, narco-smuggling and gun running are feared high. Coupled with these sub-conventional threats and challenges in the Arabian Sea, the non-traditional threats have also been becoming conspicuous, which include but are not limited to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, non-combatant evacuation and ensuring maritime security. Under such an operating environment, the navies have to play roles beyond traditional warfighting and defence of maritime frontiers.
As part of its “military operations other than war” framework, the Pakistan Navy has developed effective response mechanisms for non-traditional and sub-conventional threats. This framework requires the Navy to seamlessly perform roles ranging from benign to constabulary tasks. The Navy remains in a constant state of readiness, with the necessary equipment, personnel, and doctrinal clarity to adapt to any situation at sea, regardless of the task, time, or location. In March 2023, the Navy was among the first in the region to respond to the devastating earthquakes in Mersin, Turkey, and Latakia, Syria. Ships Moawin and Nasr were swiftly dispatched, carrying huge relief supplies within days of receiving government instructions.
During the catastrophic Tsunami of 2004, PNS Tariq was among the first naval ships to reach the Maldives and assist in rescue operations. Tariq was able to save 377 tourists within a short time. Later on, PN ships Moawin and Khaibar sailed from Karachi with substantial relief goods and field hospital equipment for humanitarian assistance operations in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The Navy remains the frontline responder in domestic crises as well. Its role in Cyclone Yemyin, 2007; Cyclone Phet and Super Floods, 2010; and Floods, 2022, was particularly noteworthy. The Navy rescued thousands of people, provided medical relief and built shelters for the children and the homeless.
In June 2011, PN ships Babur and Zulfiquar, in a joint operation rescued MV Suez from the Somali pirates and brought the entire crew back home safely. In April 2015, PN ships Zulfiqar and Aslat were deployed to rescue civilians from the war-ravaged zones of Yemen. The ships, acting with exceptional professional acumen and operational brilliance, were able to pull hundreds of people of various nationalities including eleven Indians. This had a positive impact on Pakistan-India relations.
From 2019 to 2022, Pakistan Navy undertook three distinct missions to circumvent Africa, to deliver relief goods to various African nations suffering from famine and natural disasters. PN ships Moawin, Nasr and Alamgir were tasked to sail from the Suez Canal to go around Africa and assist the African people in whatever way possible. PNS Nasr, in particular carried well over 1000 tons’ food items to Benin and Niger in 2020 when these countries have had severe shortage of basic essentials to sustain human life. This unique feat hasn’t been done before and Pakistan Navy can rightly claim the title of being the ‘first responder’ beyond its traditional operational space, the Arabian Sea.
In addition to its humanitarian missions, the Pakistan Navy’s core mission is to ‘preserve freedom of the seas,’ a guiding principle of its doctrine. The Navy operates within a ‘cooperative continuum,’ ensuring maritime stability both independently and through collaborative efforts to maintain secure and safe seas for maritime activities. Domestically, the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency work together to keep the North Arabian Sea free from crime. This collaborative approach has led to the successful interception of drug smugglers, human traffickers, and poachers, thereby maintaining order at sea.
Overall, the Pakistan Navy’s humanitarian efforts and maritime security operations demonstrate its role as the primary responder to maritime emergencies and crises, extending beyond the Arabian Sea to other locations in the Indian Ocean and beyond. As a pragmatic first responder, the Pakistan Navy has consistently provided swift assistance, rescue, and relief operations, protecting lives, securing vessels, and ensuring maritime safety, often arriving before other national or international aid.
This spirit truly makes Pakistan Navy not just a key player in the Indian Ocean but, as Ken Booth asserts a true torch bearer of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
— The author is an Islamabad-based researcher specialising in Maritime Security, Climate Change, and Astropolitics.