Jan 07 , 2016
News
Navy developing second homeport
APPORMARA: Jinnah Naval Base (JNB) Commander Commodore Sardar Amjad Mehmood said on Wednesday that the base was being equipped with modern facilities and gadgets to meet all the future needs of the country.
In a media briefing at the base, he said JNB was the second homeport after Karachi where all logistic and technical support for berthing Pakistan Navy (PN) ships and even submarines was available. “PN is building JBN as an alternative arrangement to the Karachi base keeping in view all defence requirements,” he said while highlighting strategic location of the Jinnah base, which is situated 350 kilometers west of Karachi and 285 kilometers east of Gwadar Port which is being connected with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said efforts are underway to provide all necessary facilities that are available at the Karachi Naval Base, with their upgraded versions at the JNB, adding that different workshops were also being held there for removing major faults developing in ships. The base is completely security, as it is covered by sea from two sides and a hill on the third side. On top of the hill, called Hammer Mountain, PN’s surveillance unit RDS Mianwali is stationed to keep an eye on the movements taking place in the sea.
Commenting on social activities of PN in Ormara, the JNB commander said different measures had been taken for betterment of the locals. Elaborating, he said, a navy cadet college had been set in Ormara where 50 percent recruitment was made from Balochistan under its district quota system, while 50 percent cadets were enrolled from other provinces of the country. Besides, he said a Bahria Model School was working to impart quality education to Baloch children.
The school is run on donations, financial support of the provincial government and under the scheme Chief of Naval Staff scheme “Adopt A Child”. “Presently, Navy officers are paying expenses of 100 children under the scheme,” he added. Commander Amjad said PN had also set up a full-fledged hospital in Ormara, which was equipped with various facilities like emergency department, trauma centre, intensive care unit, medical specialists, labour room, operation theatre and pharmacy. “All education and health facilities are being provided to locals free of charge,” he said and added that locals were also given employment in navy services to mitigate their financial problems and sense of deprivation.
Later, journalists from both print and electronic media visited the cadet college and witnessed recruits’ assembly in which they performed different drills, read out the national anthem, changed the national-flag and raised full-throated slogan “Allah Ho Akbar.” Principal Cadet College Captain Masoodul Hassan told the media that presently 172 recruits were getting education and training and the institute was affiliated with Federal Board of Education. During the visit to PNS Daraman Jah Hospital, Surgeon Dr Commanding Officer Faisal Imran Malik informed that around 172,000 patients had so far been treated there during last four years. Earlier, on arrival at the JNB, journalists witnessed cadet paratroopers jumping from a helicopter as part of their ongoing training. The media team was also taken to the Bahria Model School.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk