Add to this, the rise of Asian powers like China,India and Indonesia and their massive maritime dependence, has made this region one of the core maritime concentrations. Further, contemporary phenomenon of geopolitics, like countering China and Iran with maximum pressure, continues competition among regional powers, confrontation of state actors with NSAs and chances of spillover of conflicts from mainland to maritime domain are furthering the already complex situation. On Geo-economics perspective, initiatives like Chinese-led maritime silk route,China’s African vision 2064, Indian look Africa policy etc are increasing dependence of growing economies on energy resources of western Indian Ocean. Cognizant to significance, United States, United Kingdom, China and now Russia have their military bases in the region to not only exert power at geopolitical realm but to counter non-traditional threats like piracy, arms and human trafficking, narco networks etc.

With the increasing reliance of South Asian states on Middle Eastern energy supplies to fuel their export-based economies along with rising maritime traffic in the IOR, this region has provided a hotspot to the Non-State-Actors to exploit the maritime cleavages and chokepoints. Owing to the highly inter-linked global trade, the non-traditional maritime threats have raised up to the level that a collective response of the state-led naval cooperation has become a need of the hour.

With this in mind, Pakistan Navy (PN) has the most important role to play in collaborative maritime security of the region. If history is a prism then PN is continuously participating in the global maritime stability initiatives; such as Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 and 151 under UN mandate. Recently, Pakistan has again assumed the command of CTF-151 having commanded this force eight times earlier. Further, Pakistan Navy is an epicenter in the complex maritime environment, due to critical geography of its maritime area, ports and being major partner of China led BRI initiative. PN not only played a proactive role through collaborative maritime initiatives but also contributed with its independent initiative like RMSP (Regional Maritime Security Petrol) to preserve its maritime interest, while maintaining the regional maritime order. The manifestation of these engagements is the result of PN’s operational readiness.

Keeping in view the complex matrix vis-à-vis enhanced isolationism and anti multilateralism in the region, PN has initiated a hallmark ‘AMAN’ Exercises with the sole purpose of maintaining regional maritime order, exchanging interoperability with the participant naval fleets, maintaining operational readiness, and enhancing the existing naval diplomacy world-wide while projecting the positive image of Pakistan. At initial level, it seemed to be an over-ambitious project to launch these exercise against Pakistan’s adversaries policies and politics of isolating Islamabad on each forum. Nevertheless, since 2007, each AMAN Exercise which conducts biennially has been expanding its web by including more regional and extra regional naval forces to participate.

Over a passage of time, Pakistan Navy message got wider acceptance with number of participants steadily increasing. Till to date seven exercises have been conducted and 8th exercise is planned in Feb 23 and numerous countries have been invited. The increasing number of participants reflects growing trust among the regional countries and growing value of AMAN exercise. The exercise aimed to consolidate the process of collaborative maritime security among the countries across the globe; to demonstrate joint resolve against the threats emanating from the maritime domain; to enhance interoperability among the participating nations; and to achieve shared understanding of maritime security operations, counter-terrorism operations and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations (HADR).

Through expanding its AMAN Exercise stature, Pakistan has already signaled its adversaries that isolating Pakistan in maritime domain can’t be pursued. Participation of the world’s stronger naval powers’ fleets including US, China, Japan, and Russia; 8th AMAN Exercise will definitely be a success story. By definition, AMAN has  neither the offensive agenda nor the Gun Boat Diplomacy’s aspirations. The AMAN Exercise is divided into two phases; the Harbour phase and Sea phase. In harbor phase activities, such as Friendly Sports Matches, International Cultural Display, are being conducted. Whereas in sea phase, International Fleet Review is carried out along with other various exercises to practice response against maritime security threats in a multinational environment. Moreover, Special Forces teams of the participating nations take part in the counter-piracy operations in order to develop Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) for combined action against asymmetric threats at sea.

This time alongside AMAN-23, an important maritime conference is going to be held for the first time at Karachi expo center. Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) is an initiative of Pakistan Navy which is being organized under the patronage of Ministry of Maritime Affairs in order to jump start development of maritime sector in Pakistan and spur Blue Economy. PIMEC is scheduled from 10 to 12 Feb, 2023 and the exhibition will bring together stakeholders and companies from diverse maritime fields to exploit and explore the potential of Blue Economy. It is actually to venture new chapter where we explore the true potential of much more that is to follow. Not only it will give us livelihood and vibrancy to our economy but also provide endeavors to mitigate climate change effects.

If we dig in AMAN series of naval exercises, we will find that it’s a common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying areas of common interest among its participants while practicing and developing response tactics, techniques, and procedures against asymmetric and traditional threats. Such multinational exercises not only create stability and understanding between nations but also provide an opportunity to reinforce political, economic, commercial, and cultural linkages among the participating countries.Keeping in view significance and efforts put in by Pakistan Navy, there is a dire need that the Military to Military contact established through 8th AMAN Exercise, to be held in February 2023, is transformed into diplomatic, economic and informational success. Henceforth, it would not only be emerged as counter against the non-traditional maritime threats through the joint maritime cooperation in this critical maritime confluence of IOR but will also project Pakistan as an epicenter of all global collaborative efforts of peace and prosperity while nullifying our enemy’s desire to isolate us through its false and illicit propaganda.