Pakistan Maritime Security Agency

Pakistan Maritime Security Agency
پاکستان بحری سلامتی ایجنسی
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency racing stripes
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency racing stripes
Emblem of PMSA
Emblem of PMSA
AbbreviationPMSA
MottoIndeed ALLAH is with us
Agency overview
Formed1 January 1987; 37 years ago (1987-01-01)
Employees2,000 active duty personnel[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionPakistan
Constituting instrument
  • Maritime Security Agency Act, 1994.[2]
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Coastal patrol, marine border protection, marine search and rescue.
Operational structure
HeadquartersHQs Pakistan Maritime Security Agency,Plot No 34-A, Dockyard Road, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Agency executives
Parent agency Pakistan Navy
Facilities
Vessels23 vessels[3]
Aircraft3 aircraft[3]
Notables
Significant Battle
Anniversary
  • 1 January
Website
www.pmsa.gov.pk
Blue, Red and White
     

The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (reporting name: PMSA) (Urdu: پاکستان بحری سلامتی ایجنسی) is a branch of the Pakistan Navy.[4] 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.[4] Pakistan Maritime security agency should not be confused with Pakistan Coast Guards which is security force under Pakistan Army.

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 (MoD) whose command level leadership and personnel comes directly from the Pakistan Navy.: conts. [5][6] Apart from enforcing maritime law, the PMSA conduct to assists in military operations against human trafficking, smuggling, and deep sea search and rescue.: 112 [7][8][9]

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 a senior flag officer of Rear Admiral rank in the Navy.[10] The current director of the agency is Rear Admiral Shahzad Iqbal who took the directorship of the agency in 2024.[11][9]

Since 2014, the mission objectives and area of responsibility of the PMSA has expanded substantially like to provide maritime protection to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.[12]

  1. ^ (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (14 February 2020). The Military Balance 2020. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. ISBN 9780367466398. Retrieved 4 February 2020 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference act was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Pmsa assets was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b MSA. "Maritime Security Agency: History". Pakistan Navy and Government of Pakistan. MSA Directorate of History. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  5. ^ Tan, Andrew T. H. (2010). The Politics of Maritime Power: A Survey. Routledge. ISBN 9781136833427. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  6. ^ Cole, Bernard (2013). Asian Maritime Strategies: Navigating Troubled Waters. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781612513133. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  7. ^ Anwar, Muhammad (1999). Role of smaller navies: a focus on Pakistan's maritime interests (snippet view) (1st ed.). Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan: Directorate of Naval Educational Services, Naval Headquarters. p. 212. ISBN 9789698318017. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  8. ^ Governmental. "Area of responsibility". E-Government MSA (Area of responsibility). Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Message of MSA". E Government MSA. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  10. ^ MSA Government. "Directorate-Generals of the MSA". Director-Generals of PMSA. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  11. ^ "Home". pmsa.gov.pk.
  12. ^ "Two maritime patrol vessels arrive at Gwadar Port from China - Pakistan - Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2018.