Fearing attack,Pak moves away warships from Karachi

The move has come two months after the commando-style gun and rocket-propelled grenade attacks on Mehran,that resulted in the destruction of two P3C Orion airplanes – which were key naval assets – and the killing of 10 security personnel.

Since that attack,the main battleships have been stationed in Ormara,sources told the daily.

The navy chief ordered the immediate movement of the entire fleet after the attack on PNS Mehran in view of the “all-time high security threats,which continue to loom even today”,an unnamed person familiar with the matter said.

The attack on the naval airbase was carried out just weeks after three navy buses were bombed in Karachi on April 26 and April 28. However,another unnamed senior navy official said not

the entire fleet but “definitely quite a few” warships had been moved to Ormara for security reasons.

Despite the movement,Karachi remains secure since there are other naval assets in place guarding the city,he said.

A Pakistan Navy spokesperson declined to comment on the matter,saying the navy does not speak on “operational details”.

Senior retired navy and air force officials welcomed the move and described the navy chief’s decision as “pragmatic” and “positive”.

Retired Vice Admiral Tanvir Ahmed said one of the golden rules in warfare,especially when facing a threat from an unknown enemy,is to disperse your assets in as many bases as possible.

“Never put all your eggs in one basket,” he said.

Ahmed said it would be wrong to say that the navy felt so threatened by terrorists that it had to move its warships away from their main harbour in Karachi.

“It’s not a question of fear,but a matter of tactic,” he said.

Retired Vice Admiral Javed Iqbal said there is another important benefit of the move: “Unlike many navy bases in Karachi,such as Mehran,that are in the centre of residential areas,Ormara is a far off base,” he said,adding that any terrorist there would be spotted from miles away.