ISLAMABAD, Sep 07 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari has paid tribute to the officers, sailors and civilian personnel of the Pakistan Navy on the occasion of Pakistan Navy Day, commemorating the force's "determination, courage and professional excellence" over the decades. In a special message issued to mark the day, President Zardari recalled the Navy's "daring" Operation Somnath, carried out against the Indian naval coastal station at Dwarka on the night …
President Zardari pays tribute to Pakistan Navy, highlights 1965 legacy, modern maritime capabilities
ISLAMABAD, Sep 07 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari has paid tribute to the officers, sailors and civilian personnel of the Pakistan Navy on the occasion of Pakistan Navy Day, commemorating the force’s “determination, courage and professional excellence” over the decades.
In a special message issued to mark the day, President Zardari recalled the Navy’s “daring” Operation Somnath, carried out against the Indian naval coastal station at Dwarka on the night of 7/8 September 1965.
He described the operation as a defining moment that “laid the foundations of a formidable force” and demonstrated the bravery and tenacity that continue to define the Pakistan Navy today.
The president noted that this same spirit had been carried forward into more recent operations. He specifically cited the Navy’s role during Marka-e-Haq in May 2025, when the force helped safeguard Pakistan’s maritime interests by maintaining operational readiness and forward deployments that kept a numerically larger Indian Navy from threatening the country’s maritime security.
He also referenced Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr, launched amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, through which the Navy worked to protect Pakistan’s energy security and economic lifelines by ensuring the continued flow of sea-borne energy supplies.
President Zardari highlighted the Navy’s ongoing modernisation efforts, pointing to the induction of new warships, the Hangor-class submarines, jet aircraft, unmanned systems and indigenously developed long-range missiles as evidence of the force’s push to remain “a contemporary and potent maritime force.”
Beyond its defence role, the president underlined the Navy’s contributions to maritime diplomacy, pointing to the multinational Exercise Aman and the associated Aman Dialogue, held under the theme “Together for Peace,” as platforms for regional and international cooperation. He also credited the Navy for consistently acting as a “first responder” during national and regional emergencies, providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Reaffirming the state’s commitment to continued investment in the armed forces, President Zardari said he had “complete faith” that the Pakistan Navy would maintain its professionalism and technological edge in safeguarding the country’s maritime interests.
He concluded his message with the slogans “Pakistan Navy Zindabad” and “Pakistan Paindabad.”
