Salahuddin Haider
Karachi
While commissioning a state-of- the art oceanography research vessel Bahr Masah to country’s naval fleet, the chief of the Pakistan Navy Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi made, it abundantly plain Monday that “we are fully prepared for a befitting reply” to those casting an evil eye, or even toying with the idea of nefarious designs on our sovereignty.
The 3,000-ton vessel for research on oceanography, was built in China two years ago, and after sailing the 5000 miles from there, was commissioned at the Karachi Dockyard, at a ceremony where faces of past and present command officers, sailors and engineers glittered with immense pride and happiness. They all looked tremendously proud of a force that had galloped over the years to be a force to reckon with it, and the nation can rightly look at them with enormous satisfaction as guardians of its 900 long sea lanes. A galaxy of them felt proud to be part of the impressive, in fact heart-warming ceremony. Pakistan’s sea lanes, spread over 2,900 kilometres of sea, has become a genuine guarantee for safety and security of the motherland. Its addition to the fleet, will help discover nature’s enormous treasures in our oceans. The vessel, placed under command of captain Waseem, was handed over to its crew, and Navy chief himself visited its various departments. It is equipped with latest laboratories, heli-paid, hospital, and to sum in few words the most modern technologies available today.
National anthem was played, and martial songs played over a band, while a smart salute and honour guard was presented to Navy chief, who is not only a model of impressive leadership for his men, but also a lesson in courtesy for outsiders. While delivering the presidential speech, he paid eloquent tributes to all those engaged round the clock at Karachi Shipyard, almost a dead weight until few years ago, but with Navy’s efforts, has now become a proud addition to the Navy’s endeavours to make it self-reliant, and a genuine asset for the State, helping indigenous production of Naval fleet requirements. Viewed in the backdrop of history, a small vessel Tipu Sultan served as oceanographic research, but where there is will, there is way, and the search from good to excellence has begun to pay handsome dividends. Lamenting the brutalities on Kashmiris by a major neighbor, the Navy chief, regretted that such heinous crime, will obviously take a heavy toll and those keeping the innocent Kashmiris, fighting for their birth right to be masters of their destiny, are being persistently kept in bondage. Those committing this mistake, will have to pay heavily ultimately. While lauding China, our true, and all-weather friend, who is helping Pakistan’s technological advancement, through CPEC and other means, he paid tribute to the great Chinese nation, and its leadership.
