The commissioning ceremony for the 125th Midshipmen and 33rd Short Service Commission (SSC) Course was held at the Pakistan Naval Academy (PNA) in Karachi, marking the entry of a new cohort of officers into active maritime service.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the passing-out parade as the Chief Guest. Upon his arrival at the academy, he was formally received by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Naveed Ashraf. The graduating class comprised a total of 123 Midshipmen and 30 SSC Cadets who successfully completed their rigorous military and technical training modules.
Commissioning Parade of 125th Midshipmen and 33rd SSC Course was held at Pakistan Naval Academy Karachi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended as Chief Guest and was received by CNS Admiral Naveed Ashraf. A total of 123 Midshipmen and 30 SSC Cadets passed out. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/QwVP1dDQfQ
— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) June 27, 2026
Expanding Regional Defense Partnerships
Reflecting Pakistan’s deep-seated defense diplomacy and its role as a regional training hub, the graduating class featured multiple international officers. The cohort included midshipmen from allied nations across the Middle East and East Africa, specifically representing Bahrain, Iraq, and Djibouti.
The inclusion of these foreign cadets highlights the strategic security ties and military-to-military cooperation Pakistan maintains across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Gulf.
State Commitment to Maritime Doctrine
During his address to the parade, Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the modernization and strengthening of the Pakistan Navy, emphasizing the critical importance of a robust maritime defense in safeguarding the country’s economic interests and sea lines of communication.
The Prime Minister highly commended the operational readiness and professionalism of the naval forces, explicitly praising their recent successes in high-stakes maritime security deployments:
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Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos: The Navy’s counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling operations aimed at neutralizing illicit network trafficking in international waters.
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Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr: The dedicated coastal defense and maritime surveillance patrols designed to ensure sovereign perimeter protection.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf emphasized that the academy continues to evolve its curriculum to address modern naval challenges, including asymmetric warfare, electronic counter-measures, and automated coastal surveillance, ensuring that both domestic and international graduates are prepared to operate in increasingly contested maritime environments.
