AMAN Maritime Exercise Is a Global Display of Pak's Subservience to China

The ninth edition of the AMAN maritime exercise, hosted by the Pakistan Navy, has begun in the North Arabian Sea, reportedly bringing together over 60 nations under the banner of regional maritime cooperation.

- ASHISH SINGH

Officially promoted as a platform for fostering international naval collaboration and enhancing security in the Indian Ocean Region, AMAN-25 is a carefully orchestrated diplomatic spectacle that does nothing more than expose Pakistan's increasing dependence on China.

Rather than demonstrating Pakistan's independent maritime ambitions, the exercise is a stark reminder of how deeply the country has surrendered its future to Beijing. The arrival of Chinese warships in Karachi, the overwhelming Chinese footprint in Pakistan's naval modernization, and the growing militarization of Gwadar, all point to one conclusion—Pakistan no longer steers its own destiny. AMAN-25, instead of highlighting Islamabad's regional leadership, is a platform that reinforces Beijing's dominance over Pakistan's military and maritime policies.

PAKISTAN'S NAVY: A FORCE BUILT BY BEIJING

Despite Islamabad's claims of sovereign military capabilities, its naval modernization is almost entirely bankrolled and directed by China. While AMAN-25 is presented as a demonstration of Pakistan's naval reach, a closer look reveals that this reach extends only as far as Beijing allows.

Over the past decade, Pakistan's naval acquisitions have been overwhelmingly dependent on China. The Hangor-class submarines acquired in a five-billion-dollar deal are only the latest in a long line of agreements that bind Pakistan's navy to Chinese technology, logistics and sunnly chains. The Type 054A/P frigates, nearly identical to those used by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and the so-called indigenous Jinnah-class frigates, which rely heavily on Chinese design and technical assistance, further illustrate how Pakistan has reduced itself to a secondary player in its own modernisation efforts.