Maritime Security Agency
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency is a branch of the Pakistan Navy. It is a Navy-managed and Navy-controlled law enforcement agency whose mission is to provide protection to the Pakistan's maritime interests and enforcement of maritime law with jurisdiction over the domestic and international waters of Pakistan including the exclusive economic zone.
Created on 1 January 1987 in compliance to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea of 1982, the PMSA functions as a federal regulatory agency under the Ministry of Defence whose command level leadership and personnel comes directly from the Pakistan Navy. Apart from enforcing maritime law, the PMSA conduct to assists in military operations against human trafficking, smuggling, and deep sea search and rescue.
The leadership of the agency comes from the external billets appointment approved by the Pakistan Navy and its executive officer is designated as the Director-General who usually at the two-star rank admiral– the Rear-Admiral in the Navy. The current director of the agency is Rear-Admiral Muhammad Shuaib who took the directorship of the agency in 2020.
Since 2014, the mission objectives and area of responsibility of the PMSA expanded substantially with Chinese Navy transferring the coast guard vessels to provide maritime protection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Mission
The mission of Pakistan Maritime Security Agency states:History
In 1971, the Ministry of Defense had established the Pakistan Coast Guard but the Coast Guards were under the command of the Pakistan Army and were unable to perform the deep sea search and rescue operations or enforce maritime law to protect Pakistan's maritime interests. The void had been filled by the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard that had been very active in the Indian Ocean. The Navy had to perform the coast guard duties apart from the combat service and had to deploy its assets to guard the maritime interests of the country.After the United Nation's Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982, the Government of Pakistan established the Maritime Security Agency after acquiring the Exclusive Economic Zone of about. The MoD established the Maritime Affairs Wing in 1986 to lay the framework of the agency as the Pakistan Navy undertook the task by establishing the agency from its manpower and provided the leadership with Rear-Admiral S.R. Hussain becoming its first Director-General on 1 August 1986.
On 1 January 1987, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency was established for law enforcement and protecting the maritime interests of the country, and a parliamentary act that was passed in 1994 to provide the legal jurisdiction to the agency to perform its operations and task. In 1997, the MSA gained its constitutional mandate after ratification of the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Maritime Security Agency conducts exercises with the other coast guards of the world. In May 2005, the PMSA agreed to establish liaison links with the Indian Coast Guard.
In 2014, the mission objectives and area of responsibility of the PMSA expanded substantially with Chinese Navy transferring the coast guard vessels to provide maritime protection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,5 of these 6 ships have been delivered &6th ship is expected to be delivered soon.
Roles and functions
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency has roles in maritime homeland security, national and international maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and the maintenance of intracoastal and offshore aids to navigation. The agency is mandate to protect the fishing vessels and crew against any threat within the Maritime Zones.The agency performs military operations authorized by the Ministry of Defence to protect the economic and maritime interests of Pakistan. The agency also provides security and assists governmental agencies, international organizations and the Pakistan Navy in petroleum and other mineral exploration in Pakistan's naval zones. The agency coordinates the oceanographic research and other scientific activities of the Navy Hydrographic Department.
Organizational headquarters
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency is a branch within the Navy, and is headquartered near the vicinity of the Karachi Fish Harbour and the KESW Ltd. in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Since it was established in 1987, the PMSA was headquartered in different hired commercial buildings, most notably, the Karachi Port Trust Building until the new headquarters were constructed and inaugurated on 15 January 2011.Leadership and the personnel are directly appointed from the Navy and the agency consists of a Director-General and it is commanded by a two-star rank, a Rear-Admiral seconded from Pakistan Navy. The headquarters of the agency and personnel are placed under the command of Commander of Coastal Areas, who usually supervise the operations for the Ministry of Defence.
Commissioned officers and enlisted rank
The Maritime Security Agency is an agency within the Navy, therefore, it uses the same ranks and insignia as the Pakistan Navy as all of its members are active-duty personnel of the Navy.Equipment
Vessels
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency operates several vessels built locally at KESW Ltd. and in China's Huangpu and Xijiang shipyards. It also has some vessels transferred from the United States Coast Guard. PMSA currently operates three squadrons as listed below:| Squadron | Callsign | Vessels | Notes |
| 22nd Offshore Patrol Squadron | OSRON 22 | Built in Huangpu Shipyard in 1989 and commissioned on 13 June 1990. Built in Huangpu Shipyard in 1989 and commissioned on 13 June 1990. Built in 1989 at Huangpu Shipyard and commissioned as on 13 June 1990. Laid on 21 October 1988 in Huangpu Shipyard and commissioned on 29 December 1988. | |
| 23rd Offshore Patrol Squadron | OSRON 23 | 9× Fast Response Boats | Inducted into PMSA after donated by the United States Navy. |
| 26th Offshore Patrol Squadron | OSRON 26 | PMSS Sabqat PMSS Rafaqat | Laid on 16 August 2016 in Haungpu Shipyard and commissioned on 20 July 2018. Built in KESW Ltd. and commissioned on 9 August 2018. Constructed by the Xijiang Shipbuilding Co. in 2016. Commissioned on 22 May 2017. Constructed by the Xijiang Shipbuilding Co. in 2016. Commissioned on 14 January 2017. Constructed by the Xijiang Shipbuilding Co. in 2015. Commissioned on 10 December 2016. Built by KESW Ltd. and commissioned in February 2019. United States Coast Guard transferred to Pakistan on 21 September 2017 United States Coast Guard transferred to Pakistan on 21 September 2017. |
| — | — | PMSS Nazim | Decommissioned as of 6 October 2010. The Nazim is an "on sea" headquarters and is now considered non-operational and hasn't been moved in years. |
Aircraft
The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency operates one aircraft squadron known as Squadron 93 PMSA. The squadron was inaugurated on 23 June 1988 with the induction of a Fokker F27 Friendship an interim measure, for sea surveillance. The aircraft was stationed at Jinnah Terminal for the purpose of logistics support. In 1993, the PMSA acquired the Britten-Norman Defender stationed at Mehran Naval Air Station.| Squadron | Callsign | Aircraft | Notes |
| 93rd PMSA Squadron | — | 3×Britten-Norman Defender | Stationed in Naval Air Station Mehran |
| — | — | 1×Fokker F27 Friendship | Retired in 1992 from the Naval Aviation. Navy aircraft was transferred to PMSA in 1993. The aircraft was decommissioned from PMSA and was then transferred to PAF. Later it was involved in an air crash in 2003 that killed Gen. Mushaf Ali Mir, the air chief. |
Bases
PMSA currently operates from five bases namely:- Mehran Naval Air Station