00:00This is very interesting that apart from war, there are many other issues, including foreign affairs.
00:06I would like to ask one more question.
00:08In our daily programs, we say that the discussion of our programs is generally revolving around the politics of Pakistan.
00:17But no one can deny that there is nothing more important than the economy.
00:21Because the common man is more concerned at the end of the day about how much money he has in his pocket.
00:26Can I pay this bill with this? Can I do this or not?
00:29All these operations of the Navy, to run the economy of Pakistan or to make it better,
00:36do they have anything to do with this or are they two completely different things?
00:41This is a very intertwining nature of security and economy.
00:45If there is no secure environment, then it is very difficult to do economic activity there.
00:52I have heard a lot about the term blue economy. How do we define this blue economy?
00:59Blue economy is, in very simple terms, the sustainable use of marine resources.
01:06What are marine resources?
01:08Everyone knows that there is fish.
01:10But then there is a whole list of potential resources which are part of sea.
01:17There are minerals, hydrocarbons, coastal tourism, shipping ports, coastal development.
01:26All these departments are part of the blue economy.
01:29Alright.
01:30Because over the years, the resources on land are decreasing.
01:34Right.
01:35And that is why you have to look at the sea.
01:38Renewed energy in many countries is being gained through resources at sea.
01:47There is a breeze flowing on the sea.
01:49The sea is an ideal platform.
01:51You can install wind turbines here and you can generate a lot of energy.
01:57Technically speaking, most of the world's progressing economies have been under the influence of water.
02:10Absolutely.
02:11All developed and thriving economies have understood the importance of water a little earlier than us.
02:17We have also done our best.
02:24The role of the Navy, as you would know, the Chief of the Naval Staff, as per the notification.
02:30He is the technical advisor of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on all these issues.
02:35And having served in the Navy for so many years.
02:38I have been observing the Chiefs for the last 7-8 years.
02:42They have tried their best to...
02:45Do you think the response from there is ideal or can there be better?
02:49There is always room for improvement.
02:51But we have always received a response.
02:53Alhamdulillah, irrespective of which government it is.
02:55Correct.
02:56And as a result of that response, we have made progress in some things.
03:00First of all, maritime awareness in Pakistan.
03:04The Navy has been saying for a long time that there is a sea blindness.
03:07People don't know about the sea.
03:09We have made a very considerate effort on that for the last two decades.
03:13And through lectures, through engaging people.
03:17For the last 7-8 years, we have been doing a maritime security workshop.
03:21In which we invite politicians, bureaucrats, and people from the business community.
03:26And we tell them, what is Navy?
03:28What is the maritime sector?
03:30How it is expanding?
03:32What are the potential areas?
03:33How do we do maritime security?
03:35And so on and so forth.
03:36There is no other topic more important than the economy.
03:40When we talk about the economy, we say economy, trade, import, export.
03:46If I oversimplify it, if our economy has become prosperous in Pakistan.
03:54Then there is a very important role of profit and revenue.
03:58So how much of our profit goes through water?
04:04You will be amazed to know.
04:06This figure has come somewhere before.
04:0890% of our trade goes through water.
04:11Don't tell me. 90%?
04:13Yes, 90%.
04:14Sea trade as a transportation means, undoubtedly.
04:18There is no cheaper way than the sea.
04:21It is the cheapest transportation means.
04:23These days we are crying about the transportation cost.
04:26But you see, we have to pay a freight of 4.5-5 billion dollars.
04:33Because we don't have our own merchant ships.
04:36We have some.
04:38Around 12-13.
04:39But we don't have enough to cater all of our trade.
04:42Not at all.
04:43Majority of our trade, we pay freight charges.
04:47We don't have a container ship.
04:49So again you are telling me that 90% of Pakistan's trade is dependent on water.
04:56So if we have to go to water, how do we go?
04:59We have to go on ships.
05:01We don't have enough ships.
05:03If I say it in a very common term, we take it from another country and pay a cost for it.
05:08So our number of ships should be much better.
05:11We have sensitized some governments on this.
05:14Some efforts have been made recently.
05:16But again, it's not at all enough if you ask me.
05:19Similarly, we import all the oil from ships.
05:26Now when there is a war or a conflict situation, even if there is a war in the region.
05:32For instance, we are hearing a lot about Iran, Israel and U.S. trade relations.
05:38The effect of this is that there will be aftershocks on the sea.
05:43And if we don't have our own container, if the charges increase, then we have to pay for it.
05:48So all this is related.
05:52The maritime policy of Pakistan is still intact.
05:58It was made in 2006-2007.
06:00The Navy gave a lot of input and drove it at that time.
06:03According to that time, it was fine.
06:05Later, we made a lot of efforts, if you ask me, to renew it.
06:10Because a lot of things need to be changed in our view.
06:14So who is the authority in that?
06:17You can give a proposal.
06:21We gave a proposal in 2018.
06:24It was a very comprehensive proposal in our view.
06:27In 2018.
06:28It was presented to the Prime Minister and it was approved.
06:32The Minister of Maritime Affairs also needs to be reformed.
06:38If you ask me now, there are about 9 ministries.
06:43Different ministries.
06:44As per the 1973 rules of business.
06:46Who deals with the various sectors of maritime.
06:49It is very difficult to bring synergy in work.
06:52Obviously.
06:53So we said in that proposal that we need to revisit it a little.
06:57Channelize it, discipline it a little.
06:59And first of all, reform MoMA itself.
07:03Strengthen it.
07:04Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
07:05So it was done, it was approved.
07:08There was a committee headed by the then Minister of Maritime Affairs.
07:13There were representatives from the Navy.
07:15Additional security level inter-ministerial committee.
07:18If you ask me today, it is already there.
07:21On paper it is there.
07:22A little work was done on it.
07:24A lot of work could not be done in that direction.
07:27Now I think I have heard, the Prime Minister has made a task force.
07:31In which he has discussed a lot again.
07:33It is very interesting and there are some very surprising things in it.
07:36There are some things that I am surprised about.
07:38I am surprised that 90% of our trade is dependent on one thing.
07:43We do not have enough containers and we are depending on others.
07:46But this is one sector we are talking about.
07:48Like fishery, there are studies.
07:51We have a potential of 2.5 to 3 billion dollars for our waters.
07:55The regional countries are taking advantage of that potential in this range.
08:01They are also exporting it.
08:02We are exporting it for about 300 million dollars.
08:06Now there is a need to know the reasons for this.
08:10What are the problems in fishery?
08:12Your boats are not good.
08:13Why is this country with us?
08:15It is doing more potential than us.
08:17Similarly, if you talk about ship breaking.
08:19You must have heard about the Gadani ship breaking in Pakistan.
08:24The belt where the ship comes and reaches the beach.
08:28God has blessed it so that it is one of the best in the world.
08:32And in 1980s, if I don't recall incorrectly, we were at the top.
08:38We used to have the most ships in the ship breaking industry.
08:42Now we are number 3 or 4.
08:44Bangladesh and India have surpassed us.
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