Pakistan Navy Reaffirms Commitment to Combat Plastic Pollution on World Environment Day 2025

Islamabad – On the occasion of World Environment Day 2025, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf issued a powerful message highlighting the urgent need to tackle plastic pollution, particularly in Pakistan’s maritime domain. With this year’s theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution,” the global observance aims to raise awareness and encourage concerted action under the United Nations Environment Programme.

Admiral Ashraf emphasized that plastic pollution is a borderless crisis, infiltrating lakes, rivers, and oceans with devastating consequences. It not only mars natural landscapes but severely damages ecosystems, endangers marine life, and threatens the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities.

“For a country like Pakistan, blessed with a vast coastline and rich marine biodiversity, the stakes are incredibly high,” said Admiral Ashraf. He underscored that the Karachi harbour — a critical maritime and ecological hub — continues to suffer from unchecked pollution, including solid waste, industrial runoff, untreated sewage, and plastic debris. These pollutants, he warned, compromise marine health, biodiversity, and human well-being.

The Pakistan Navy, in collaboration with maritime stakeholders, has been actively working to improve the environmental conditions of Karachi harbour. However, Admiral Ashraf acknowledged that the sheer volume of waste entering the sea far exceeds current mitigation efforts. He called for a two-pronged strategy: reducing waste disposal at the source — especially plastics, industrial effluents, and oil spills — and scaling up efforts to clean waste already present in the maritime environment.

In alignment with these efforts, the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) has organized a one-day international seminar to raise awareness and discuss practical solutions to protect marine ecosystems from plastic pollution.

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Admiral Ashraf urged all national stakeholders to unite with the Pakistan Navy in implementing nature-based solutions, such as mangrove plantations, source-level waste reduction, banning plastic bags, beach clean-up initiatives, installation of trash barriers, and enhanced public awareness.

“Only through shared responsibility and sustained action can we secure a healthy, sustainable future for our next generations,” he concluded.