Pakistan Navy - History

History

Today is a historic day for Pakistan, doubly so for those of us in the Navy. The Dominion of Pakistan has come into being and with it a new Navy – the Royal Pakistan Navy – has been born. I am proud to have been appointed to command it and serve with you at this time. In the coming months, it will be my duty and yours to build up our Navy into a happy and efficient force —Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, addressing the Naval Academy in March 1948.,

The Pakistan Navy came into existence on Fourteenth of August, 1947 with the establishment of State of Pakistan. The Armed Forces Reconstitution Committee (AFRC) divided the Royal Indian Navy between both India and Pakistan. The Royal Pakistan Navy secured two sloops, two frigates, four minesweepers, two naval trawlers, four harbor launches and some 358 personnel (180 officers and 34 ratings) and was given a number of harbour defence motor launches. Since It was also given a high percentage of the delta areas on the Pakistan coast. As part of the Commonwealth of Nations, the prefix "Royal" was added until the state was proclaimed a republic in 1956. However, the Navy endured a difficult history, only 200 officers and 3000 sailors (while overwhelming numbers of officers and sailors opted for Indian Navy) were inherited to the Navy, the most senior being Commodore HMS Chaudhry. The Navy suffered the perennial problems suffered by inadequate staff, lack of operational naval bases, technological and personnel resources. It was also the smallest armed forces in terms of technical staff, equipments, and officers as compared to army and the air force. Despite its difficulty, the Navy faced the challenging obstacles and launched an extreme level of recruitment programme for the young nation, first starting from the East-Pakistan. However it proved to be difficult to sustain a program in East Pakistan, therefore the Navy pushed its program to West Pakistan instead.