KARACHI: A delegation of Pakistan Merchant Navy officers, maritime ex-servicemen, Pakistan Navy officers and their families paid their respects to the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, at Mazar-e-Quaid.
The delegation was led by Captain Fareed Masood, FNI, FCILT, PHF, Chairman of The Nautical Institute’s Pakistan Branch.
The wreath-laying ceremony, organised with the generous support of the Pakistan Navy, featured a guard of honour, reflecting the dignity of the occasion and the growing spirit of brotherhood between Pakistan’s naval and merchant marine communities.
The gathering also paid heartfelt tribute to generations of merchant mariners who have served the country in difficult circumstances, especially those who lost their lives at sea in times of war, on humanitarian missions and in the line of duty.
Special respect was paid to their families, whose sacrifices, long separations and personal hardships have gone largely unacknowledged despite their invaluable contribution to Pakistan’s maritime heritage.
For decades, Pakistani merchant mariners have flown the national flag across the world’s oceans, sustained international trade, supported the national economy and represented Pakistan with professionalism and dedication.
Their contribution may often go unnoticed by the public, but their sacrifices deserve an enduring place in the nation’s collective memory.
An important aspect of the occasion was the Pakistan Navy’s encouraging recognition of the Merchant Navy’s contribution to national maritime interests.
The top leadership of the Pakistan Navy has expressed its willingness to strengthen professional ties, promote closer cooperation in maritime security and explore measures for the recognition and welfare of serving and retired merchant mariners and their families.
The initiative to encourage greater contact between the two maritime communities, including the participation of Merchant Navy families in Naval Family Day activities, was particularly appreciated.
This spirit of cooperation was also reflected at the international level when the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, visited the headquarters of The Nautical Institute in London on July 13, 2026, where matters of mutual professional interest, maritime education, best practices and the Institute’s activities in Pakistan were discussed.
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