Pakistan prefers collaboration to confrontation in maritime sector: Ahsan

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal was chief guest at the concluding session of AMAN Dailogue 2025 in Karachi on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, he congratulated naval chief Admital Naveed Ashraf, Pakistan Navy, NIMA and all other stakeholders for organising the insightful partnership building event.

He said that Indian Ocean should not be the centre of tensions and strategic contention; rather, it should be a centre of opportunities and shared progress. Further, he asserted that Pakistan prefers collaboration over confrontation and trade over tensions. AMAN Dailogue is an example of mutual trust and shared prosperity which signifies Pakistan’s commitment and resolve towards peaceful maritime sector, he continued.

He said that oceans are facing evolving challenges of illegal fishing, piracy, drug and human trafficking, which can be only tackled by embracing the modern technology. The federal minister told the audience that Pakistan is determined to pursue the fruits of blue economy, which is reflected in Pakistan’s Uraan Pakistan programme through which we are modernizing and digitizing the ports, engancing shipping trade routes, enabling AI in trade, and connecting the routes via CPEC corridors.

He hoped that relations built in AMAN Dailogue will turn into long standing partnerships for the betterment of the maritime sector and that this dailogue will yield results in shared progress and peaceful horizons.

Iqbal pressed the maritime community to embrace Artificial Intelligence and modern technology by developing ethical and legal guidelines in the sector. He expected that the international dignitaries and guests will carry Pakistan’s message of peaceful maritime aspirations.