Blue Economy in danger: India’s nuclearization of the Indian Ocean

In Blog
February 25, 2021
Abdul Aziz
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India in pursuit of military dominance in South Asia has started nuclearizing the Indian ocean threatening international peace and security. Indian ocean provides access to Australia, East Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Its importance and significance for international trade is enormous. While there are plenty of traditional and non-traditional threats in the Indian ocean

India in pursuit of military dominance in South Asia has started nuclearizing the Indian ocean threatening international peace and security. Indian ocean provides access to Australia, East Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Its importance and significance for international trade is enormous. While there are plenty of traditional and non-traditional threats in the Indian ocean like terrorism, piracy, satellite commutation sabotage, or maritime policing issues such as illegal fishing, that affect the blue economy in the region. However, it is India’s nuclearization of the ocean that is the most imminent threat to regional and national security.

Maritime security is essential for Pakistan as it is one of the 32 littoral states in the Indian ocean that use the passage for oil imports and merchandise. Pakistan carries out ninety five percent of its trade through the sea via port Karachi, port Qasim and Gwadar. It is also the 3^rd biggest nation in the region with a population of over 200 million people. Pakistan has a coastal line of 990 Kilometers of which 75 percent of it is in Balochistan and the rest is located in Sindh. Similarly, the Indian Ocean is one of the busiest mercantile trade ways for numerous nations around the world.

Pakistan is also building the Gwadar port in alliance with China and under the Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which promises to bring more economic prosperity to the region. However, India views the Pakistan Chinese maritime alliance as a threat and it has been building its maritime nuclear arsenal in response.

While Maritime security can be legislated on domestically by states, it is mainly governed by International law. The International Maritime Organization, an agency of the United Nations is responsible for regulating shipping. It came up with a cohesive code called International ship and Port facility security which addresses maritime security threats that may be faced by nations in the sea, it provides a mechanism for when a law is breached. The United Nations Convention on the laws of Seas (UNCLOS) on the other hand provides detailed information on territorial waters, the passage of an innocent ship, exclusive economic zones, right of states, scientific research, global and regional cooperation, and settlement of disputes.

Pakistan’s policy in the Indian ocean is based on multilateralism. Pakistan has a policy of strict compliance of international maritime law and promotion of cooperation between all littoral states. An example of this can be seen by the fact that Pakistan recently conducted a maritime exercise called AMAN 21 which concentrated on cooperating on all traditional and non-traditional threats from cyber and satellite communication sabotage, illegal finishing and piracy to terrorism.

However, India on the other hand has been actively increasing the militarization of the Indian ocean since the past decade. India leased a Russian Akula class submarine for a 10-year lease from Russia called INS Chakra II in 2021. However, since the Hindutva government has been in power, India has been aggressively pushing for a nuclearization of the Indian ocean. Subsequently, in 2016, India became the first country outside of the permanent five members of the united nations to domestically build a nuclear-powered ballistic submarine. India by introducing its new nuclear submarine called INS Arihant sent a message that it wants to militarily dominate the Indian ocean. India is also building a third nuclear submarine called INS aright which is presently being constructed.

While, India is concentrating on dominating the Indian ocean militarily, Pakistan’s approach has been endorsing multilateralism in the region. In line with its maritime policy, Pakistan recently also hosted the 9^th international maritime Conference (IMC) 2021. The conference was based on the ‘Development of Blue Economy under a Secure and Sustainable Environment: A Shared Future for Western Indian Ocean Region’. The conference concentrated on the potential of the Indian ocean and the blue economy and academics, scholars, and international maritime law experts participated in the conference.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted how the enormous potential of the blue economy in the Indian ocean was being threatened by militarization and nuclearization by some states that gravely affected and impacted the economic potential of the region. He specifically pointed to India and said that India’s belligerent and aggressive policies presently being driven by the Hindutva ideology posed an imminent and pervasive threat to International and regional peace and security. He warned the international community that such a brazen attempt to nuclearize the Indian ocean is not viable for international peace and development.

The Indian navy and the Indian government are attempting to exercise more power in the region by now nuclearizing the Indian ocean, which is grave threat not just to the blue economy of the region but international peace and security. It is incredibly important that Pakistan continues to propose an alliance of like-minded nations for strategic, political, and economic reasons that understand that nuclearizing or militarizing the Indian ocean severely dims the prospect for peace and prosperity.

Pakistan should also collectively call for a denuclearization of the Indian ocean to ensure a sustainable economic future of the Indian Ocean region. Pakistan’s track record in endorsing multilateralism and following international maritime law is well established. The Indian state needs to realize that starting a nuclear arms race in the Indian ocean will have destructive consequences, and that cooperation with all littoral states in the region in good faith is the only way forward. Pakistan is already making its voice heard to the international community, it’s time we take this opportunity and amplify our voices and lead the way in endorsing a sustainable and secure environment for economic prosperity in the Indian ocean.