Thread by @misterzedpk

Vice Admiral (Retired) Ather Mukhtar - Pakistan's Ambassador-Designate to the Maldives [Thread]

As a Commodore, he received the President's Award. He was Commander of 9th Auxiliary comprising 9 ships, 2 coastal tankers (GWADAR, KALMAT), 2 fleet tankers (NASR, MOAWIN), 2 small tankers/utility ships (MADADGAR, RASADGAR) and 3 mine-hunting vessels (MUNSIF, MUHAFIZ, MUJAHID).

In the same rank, he was also Commander North (COMNOR) sometimes referred to as "North Navy". The COMNOR works closely with Pakistan Army to protect vital strategic interests in the north including intelligence gathering through a Naval Surveillance Unit (NSU).

His first appointment upon promotion to Rear Admiral rank was Director General of Maritime Security Agency (MSA), now known as Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA).

During his tenure as DG MSA/ PMSA, he led a delegation to Denmark in May 2014 upon the invitation of Defence Command Denmark and Royal Danish Navy to discuss avenues of collaboration.

Later he was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff-Administration or DCNS (A).

He was then appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Training & Evaluation) or DCNS (T&E), a staff position carrying responsibilities related to doctrinal development and training programmes for navy personnel.

In March 2017, he assumed charge as Commander Karachi (COMKAR), an administrative command overlooking units such as PNS KARSAZ, PNS RAHBAR, PNS SHIFA and PNS HIMALAYA, to name a few.

In March 2018 as COMKAR, he hosted the visiting Chief of Italian Navy Admiral Valter Girardelli to give a tour of various naval establishments, commands and ships in Karachi.

Later the same year, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects).

He was promoted to Vice Admiral rank in January 2019 and was last serving as Chief of Staff-Personnel or (COS-P) at Naval Headquarters prior to his (evidently) early retirement.

In his new diplomatic assignment, he will replace Vice Admiral (Retired) Waseem Akram. Both retired officers have past common service in PMSA although Vice Adm Akram had past experience of being DA in Oman.

Worth mentioning that Vice Admiral (Retd) Akram assumed charge in Maldives in March 2018. He's served there for a mere 1.5 years.

Some geostrategic context:

Indian PM Modi paid his foreign visit to Maldives upon assuming his second term in office (8-9 June 2019). He spoke at the Maldivian Parliament about his vision for the Indian Ocean.

Maldivian PM Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih re-affirmed his government's "India-First Policy" during Modi's visit.

Following MoUs were signed during the June 2019 visit (1/2):

>Hydrography Cooperation
>Health Cooperation
>Establishment of Passenger/ Cargo Services by Sea

Following MoUs were signed during the June 2019 visit (2/2):

>Cooperation in Customs Capacity Building
>Capacity Building Programme for Maldivian Civil Servants
>Agreement on Sharing White Shipping Information between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force

Maldives is part of India's coastal radar chain network set up after the 26/11 attacks which already includes Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka. A Dornier surveillance aircraft was leased by India to Maldives in October 2019.

Recently, earlier this month, India gifted an indigenous patrol vessel 'KAAMIYAAB' to Maldives National Defence Force as part of India's attempts to become a "net security provider" in Indian Ocean Region (dominance).

In this regard, requisite technical training will be provided to Maldivian personnel in India.

Early last year, then Maldivian President Abdullah Yameen sent his FM Dr Mohamed Asim to shore up support against a judicial verdict against his regime which led to an emergency/ crisis. Then Pak PM Abbasi refused to interfere in Maldives' internal affairs (Yameen was upset).

Incumbent Maldivian PM Solih assumed office in November 2018. His spouse is the first cousin of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Both Solih and Nasheed are known to be pro-India and anti-China. The former's re-affirmation of "India-First" is a daunting foreign policy challenge for Pakistan to secure its interests within the Indian Ocean Region against growing maritime assertiveness by India.

Comment: Pakistan should increase soft power overtures to Maldives apart from occasional military exchanges to prevent the island nation from being used as a satellite/ proxy in the growing Indo-Pacific framework led by US as the Patron and India as the Regional Watchdog [End]

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