Recent history of the Pakistan Navy is replete with instances of the senior leadership’s dalliance with radical Islamic ideology and actors. This flirtation recently took an ominous turn during the speech of the outgoing Pakistani Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Zafar Abbasi, with the Admiral citing his support to the growth of Islamic ideology in the Pakistan Navy, as the third pillar of his vision for the service.
In most nations, the Church (or in this case, the Mosque) and the State are distinct entities. However, this is not the case in the ‘Land of the Pure’, where most public speeches start with religious salutes and verses, which is a declaration of faith. This begets the often-asked question: in a country founded on the principles of Islam for the Muslims of the subcontinent, should one feel obliged to put faith on display?
Numerous international reports have highlighted lack of freedom of religion and persecution of minorities in Pakistan. The 2020 report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is the most damning. It clearly highlights that Pakistan has failed to protect its minorities, and ensure religious freedom, including for various sects of the majority religion, Islam. Religious independence therefore remains a chimera for the minorities in Pakistan, and sectarian violence a reality of everyday life. These two issues when viewed separately do not raise any alarm, but, when a Service Chief from Islamabad states that religious indoctrination of his men was a pillar of his tenure, the world needs to look at this afresh for many reasons.
A review of radical Islam affecting the rank and file of the Pakistan Navy is probably moot. It may be recalled that there have been numerous reports of penetration of Islamic fundamentalism in the Pakistan Armed forces, especially in the Pakistan Army (with no better illustration than the incident of sheltering Osama-bin-Laden). The Pakistan Air Force too has had its share of incidents, with the attack on the air base at Kamra.
The Pakistan Navy has been shaken on three occasions – with attacks on highly sensitive naval platforms and foreign naval personnel. In 2002, 14 persons including 11 French naval engineers working on their submarine project were killed when a suicide bomber, with inputs from inside the Pakistan Navy, rammed his car into a Pakistan Navy bus in Karachi.
The second incident is the audacious attack by Pakistani militants at the Naval base in Mehran in May 2011. This incident was attributed to Ilyas Kashmiri, a former member of Pakistan’s Special Forces, with close links to the Pakistan Navy’s SSG(N). The attackers entered the Naval Base utilising three separate gates, implying collusion with radicalised staff from within the Base. Immediately thereafter, the Pakistan Navy arrested a number of sailors, including members of the SSG(N), and Court-Martialled three senior officers on various charges, including collusion.
The third illustration of penetration of Jihadi ideology is the death sentence awarded to five officers of the Pakistan Navy for attempting to take control of Pakistan Navy frigate Zulfiqar with an intent to attack a U.S. Navy ship in September 2014. These officers were convicted of planning and orchestrating the attack on the Karachi Naval Dockyard, which was thwarted, killing 10 naval personnel, including four rogue naval officers. This incident forced then Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to state in Parliament that “Without assistance from inside, these people could not have breached security,”
With these incidents as a backdrop, the recent institutional-level encouragement provided by CNS Abbasi to the growth of Islamic ideology in the Pakistan Navy seems surprisingly naïve and unprofessional. In a televised address to the nation, Admiral Abassi spoke about three pillars of his ‘vision’ to transform the Pak Navy – combat readiness, including induction of new platforms; jump-starting the maritime economy; and, reinvigorating the ideological domain.
The outgoing CNS was certainly at liberty to expound his wish-list for ships, submarines and aircraft for the Pakistan Navy, however unlikely that may be. His claims to have jump-started the maritime economy appear to be an advert for the China-Pak Economic Corridor and Chinese avarice, which is being opposed by the local coastal population. This includes recent attempts to surrender sovereignty of two islands off the Sindh coast Bundal and Buddo, to Chinese developers.
It is however in the third pillar – ideological support – where the outgoing CNS has managed to achieve some success. It appears that the Pakistan Navy has adopted a systematic approach – provide the correct perspective to its cadres based on Wahabi school of radical Islam; amend their motto to repose absolute trust in Allah; induction of Religious and Motivation Officers(RMOs) onboard major warships, squadrons and HQs; appointing a panel of Ulema to guide their sailors; and transferring all their funds from the Bahria Foundation to Sharia compliant banks. All these measures by themselves could be indicative of a devout Muslim who wants to plough back to his community, but the concern of these measures being utilised by radical elements, as has happened on numerous occasions in the past, should remain an important consideration for the future of Pakistan.
With multi-lateral exercise AMAN-21 on the horizon, the few nations which espouse friendship with Pakistan are planning to send their delegations and units to participate in the Exercise. The exercise will be held in ‘terror capital’, Karachi, which is rife with sectarian violence and is a known paradise for terrorists, gunrunners, and drug smugglers. Whilst the Pakistan is desperate for participation, Chiefs of invited Navies should consider the ideological brain-washing their personnel will be exposed to during AMAN-21
