Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi on Wednesday assumed command as the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) during a change of command ceremony held at PNS Zafar in Islamabad.
During the ceremony, outgoing CNS Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi formally handed over the command of Pakistan Navy by presenting the traditional scroll to Admiral Niazi. The outgoing naval chief was also presented a guard of honour, a press release issued by the navy said.
In his farewell address, Admiral Abbasi said the new CNS has a distinguished career and expressed confidence that he will lead Pakistan Navy to new heights.
He stated that during his tenure, his primary focus had been on transforming Pakistan Navy into a combat-ready force, with special emphasis on optimum battle preparedness and professional competence. He praised the untiring efforts of Pakistan Navy officers, who worked as a team to achieve the progress made in all domains in line with his vision.
Admiral Abbasi, while highlighting the volatile geo-political landscape and heightened tensions in preceding years, also mentioned the conflict situation post-Pulwama. He remarked that the civil-military leadership’s unified stance and diplomatic-military pushback frustrated Indian designs. “Pakistan’s armed forces gave a befitting response and won the battle […] shattering the myth of India’s false sense of superiority,” he said. He applauded the professionalism displayed by the Navy in detecting the Indian submarine in Pakistani waters.
He said that a fleet of more than fifty vessels, including twenty major ships, was envisioned to improve the capabilities of the Navy. Four Chinese frigates will be inducted in the next few years [while] four Turkish medium-class ships will be inducted between 2023 and 2025, he said.
