Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, has carried out a high-profile visit to forward naval posts in the disputed Sir Creek region along the India-Pakistan maritime boundary, drawing sharp condemnation from Indian intelligence sources who termed the move a “deliberate provocation” aimed at asserting military dominance in the sensitive coastal zone.
During the inspection, Admiral Ashraf inducted three advanced 2400 TD Hovercraft into the Pakistan Marines — a significant modernization step that boosts the Navy’s operational capability in shallow and marshy terrain. The hovercraft are designed for high mobility across water, mudflats, and sand dunes, enabling greater patrol and logistical flexibility in the Creek Areas, where conventional vessels face navigational challenges.
Addressing officers and sailors, the Naval Chief declared Pakistan’s “unwavering resolve to defend every inch of its maritime frontiers from Sir Creek to Jiwani,” stressing that the induction symbolizes a strengthened maritime defence posture. He also underlined that the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) and overall maritime security are “a cornerstone of national sovereignty and economic prosperity.”
However, top Indian security agencies have viewed the visit as a strategic provocation timed to coincide with India’s upcoming Tri-Services joint exercises, interpreting it as a calculated effort to internationalise the Sir Creek dispute.
Sources in New Delhi believe the visit serves two objectives — to escalate regional tension and to justify Pakistan’s growing strategic alignment with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Indian analysts point out that the move strengthens Islamabad’s argument for continued Chinese naval presence and infrastructure cooperation along the Arabian Sea, particularly between Gwadar and Jiwani.
While Pakistan projects the hovercraft induction as a defensive upgrade, Indian experts warn that such posturing could be aimed at reinforcing Chinese-backed surveillance and logistical networks in the area.
The Sir Creek dispute, a 96-km long estuarine boundary between Gujarat and Sindh, remains one of the most contentious maritime issues between India and Pakistan. The latest developments risk rekindling friction at a time when both nations are already on heightened alert in the Arabian Sea region.
