Final ship launched in Türkiye-Pakistan cooperation

KARACHI

PNS TARIQ, the fourth and final ship constructed under Türkiye's national warship initiative Milgem's cooperation with Pakistan, was officially laid down in a launch ceremony in Karachi on Aug. 2.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif attended the event.

The shipbuilding project was part of a 2018 contract signed between Türkiye and Pakistan, which resulted in the sale of four corvettes, marking Türkiye's largest single-item export in the defense industry at the time.

The corvettes, developed simultaneously in both countries under Turkish state-owned defense firm ASFAT as prime contractor, acquire long-range sensors and weapon systems.

During the launch ceremony, Yılmaz emphasized the deepening friendship and strategic vision shared between Türkiye and Pakistan.

"Beyond its own needs, Türkiye is also building ships for many developed countries of the world. Thanks to the capacity we have developed in the field of defense, we have the ability to voluntarily manage the processes in which we are involved without the need to seek anyone's consent," he stated. "We believe that as we develop our national defense industry, our contribution to regional and world peace will increase."

Sharif, for his part, reiterated his invitation to Türkiye to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Sharif had previously proposed transforming the CPEC into a "trilateral agreement" between China, Pakistan and Türkiye. The CPEC, a crucial component of China's Belt and Road initiative, encompasses a series of projects focused on energy and transportation infrastructure and economic free zones.

The project is expected to significantly reduce the European maritime route's length through the Strait of Malacca, bringing China annual benefits estimated at $10 billion.

Pakistan, in turn, anticipates earning $5 billion solely from highway revenues through the CPEC. The initiative established in 2014 through a bilateral agreement between China and Pakistan originates from China's Xinjiang province and culminates at Pakistan's Gwadar port.