Press Release
Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General (R) Zubair Mehmood Hayat NI (M) said that as far as Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is concerned, India is the ‘elephant in the room’. He stated that Pakistan has always maintained that this is ‘Indian Ocean’ & not ‘India’s Ocean’. Speaking at the conference jointly organized by Maritime Center of Excellence (MCE) at Pakistan Navy War College Lahore in collaboration with the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad, he further emphasized that Pakistan is a direct stakeholder in IOR. While others jostle for influence in IOR, Pakistan must craft policies that ensure its national interests and prosperity. The event was attended by military officials, diplomats, academicians and students.
Lt Gen (R) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Advisor NCA, commented that Pakistan’s strategic planners must start looking for security and economic interests through one wholesome mosaic consisting both continental Pakistan and its links to Arabian Sea and IOR. He suggested the strategic planners of Pakistan to urgently assess Pakistan’s strategic threats in the IOR before it is too late and the tides shift again. He also stated that Chinese rise, at least in economic terms, is inevitable and written in stone. Pakistan’s strategic relationship with this inevitability places Pakistan on the right side of history. The relationship is precious, truly strategic and needs to be preserved at all costs.
Amb Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, emphasized the importance of Pakistan strengthening its naval capabilities to achieve peace, security and prosperity in the IOR while actively seeking ways to enhance and modernize its maritime strength. Pakistan must focus on enhancing Gwadar and investing in its connectivity with Northern region to unlock its full potential.
Vice Admiral (R) Ahmed Saeed Minhas, President NIMA, highlighted the importance of maritime security, stating that it is a paramount feature for peace, security, development, human rights, global trade, energy and food security, the achievement of the SDGs, global communication and climate change – all of which depend on a safe and secure maritime environment.
Brig (R) Zahir ul Haider Kazmi, Advisor SPD, stated that hypersonic cruise and glide vehicles are compressing response times, increasing the use it or lose it dilemmas. Moreover, the entanglement of nuclear and conventional C3 systems exacerbated by AI amplify risks of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation. IOR’s strategic imbalance – driven by Indian naval expansion and disruptive technologies – demands Pakistan’s focus on enhancing maritime capabilities. Pragmatic arms control measures like naval hotlines can help reduce risks and promote regional stability. However, arms control cannot be done at the cost of deterrence.
Former National Security Advisor Dr. Moeed Yusuf, highlighted that it is due time that Pakistan must exploit its geographical location for economic imperatives. He further stated that Pakistan is not part of the broader framework of Indo-Pacific theatre, that has been designed against China.
Speaking at the joint conference Rear Admiral (R) Mirza Foad Amin Baig highlighted that India’s naval strategy incorporates strategic autonomy. India is diplomatically engaging with countries like USA, Japan and Australia. While highlighting the regional ambitions of India in the broader framework of Asia-Pacific he said that the United Nation’s Permanent membership, leadership of the Global South and regional dominance are the core ambitions of the India
Professor Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal Dean faculty of social sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, said that the states that will master the non-nuclear strategic weapons will lead the global political affairs in this new nuclear age. In the evolving geopolitical environment, the emerging technologies are posing challenges due to their speed, lethality and precision.
Air Marshal Asim Suleman (R), President CASS, Lahore called the Indian Ocean as the epicenter of global strategic competition where the region is witnessing alignment, re-alignment, alliance formation and intensifying rivalries. India is expanding its maritime activities that are destabilizing the region. To actively counter Indian threats, Pakistan is focusing on integrating all domains with Navy. For Pakistan, Indian Ocean is region of shared opportunities and responsibilities.
Azhar Mahmood, Commandant PNWC noted that emerging power rivalry among global powers and alliance formations are altering the geopolitical landscape in the IOR. Amidst ongoing challenges, Pakistan Navy remains committed to play its active role in ensuring regional peace and stability. Executive Director CISS, Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi concluded that the advent of advanced technologies—ranging from AI and unmanned systems to hypersonic weapons and cyber warfare—has revolutionized the maritime domain. While these technologies enhance operational capabilities and deterrence postures, they also introduce complexities that require strategic recalculations.
