Date: Issue 137 - February 2025
As a riparian/littoral country, Pakistan is heavily reliant on the sea routes, not only for its industrial supplies, imports and exports but also for its energy needs. More than 95% of Pakistan’s trade by volume and over 70% by value are carried out through sea-lanes and 100% of its oil imports are routed through the Arabian Sea, making maritime security essential for its economic stability. Due to its geo-strategic location in the Indian Ocean and complete dependency on sea lines, Pakistan is an important stakeholder in the Indian Ocean security framework and Pakistan Navy (PN) has been contributing significantly, both in terms of men and material, in maritime security and counter piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for the last 20 years.
In the 21st century, maritime security challenges have grown increasingly complex, with threats such as piracy, terrorism, trafficking, and environmental hazards transcending national boundaries. As no single nation can manage these challenges alone, international cooperation has become essential for Pakistan to ensure the safety and security of sea lanes and uphold the global maritime order. That is why the Pakistan Naval Forces (PNF), the guardian of country’s maritime interests, became the first regional Navy to become the member of the US led and Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF, the world’s largest naval partnership, with 46 countries working together) in 2004. Comprised of five Combined Task Forces: CTF-150 (maritime security and counter-terrorism, focused on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden), CTF-151 (leads regional counter piracy efforts), CTF-152 (dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf), CTF 153 (promote security, stability and prosperity in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and western Gulf of Aden) and CTF-154 (established in May 2023, it is enhancing maritime security training throughout the region), the CMF promotes security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.