Prime Minister during recent celebration of Diwali aboard INS VIKRANT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent celebration of Diwali aboard the Indian Navy’s flagship, INS Vikrant, was symbolic of India’s maritime strength and sent a clear message to Pakistan’s military leadership in Rawalpindi.

His remark highlighting the Vikrant’s might underlined the strategic threat it represents, especially given the ship’s indigenously built capabilities and impressive scale, which intimidate Pakistan even before any confrontation occurs.

Satellite imagery analysis of recent conflicts further highlights the critical situation confronting Pakistan’s navy and coastline. During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Navy’s carrier strike group positioned nearby, equipped with BrahMos missiles, was capable of striking key Pakistani ports such as Karachi with devastating effect.

Satellite Pic of Gwadar port shows Pak Navy warships docked at a commercial container terminal 

To avoid this threat, Pakistan’s naval vessels retreated from their base ports, anchoring instead in civilian berths or at geographically more secure locations like Gwadar Port and Pasni, both of which offer some degree of safety from Indian missile strikes.

The strategic significance of Pakistan’s coastline cannot be understated. Spanning over 1,000 kilometres along the Arabian Sea, it effectively forms a geographical cul-de-sac, making it difficult for Pakistan to project maritime power effectively. Even though Pakistan maintains a navy, it remains heavily outmatched and possesses an increasingly limited capability to prevent Indian naval forces from disabling its critical port infrastructure or disrupting its trade routes.

In wartime, Pakistan’s coastline and navy are essentially rendered ineffective, as the Indian Air Force’s strikes on enemy bases, coupled with the loss of vital surveillance assets, leave their fleet hamstrung and concentrated in harbours. Historically, during the 1971 war, the Indian Navy inflicted significant damage, sinking multiple Pakistani warships and securing sea lanes, which effectively cut off East Pakistan’s access to maritime supply routes and contributed to Pakistan’s defeat.

Today, Pakistan’s naval vulnerability is compounded by its geographical constraints. Its coastline is bordered by friendly territories like Iran and Afghanistan, which, in wartime, offer limited support due to their own strategic considerations. The Pakistani military's attempts to establish safe harbours, such as Pasni, reflect an awareness of its inability to defend its sea lanes against a determined Indian naval blockade—a true testament to the critical weakness along its coastline.

The Pakistan Navy’s limited operational capacity, along with its reliance on Chinese and other foreign-built platforms, leaves it susceptible to rapid interdiction by Indian forces. Any attempt by Pakistan to challenge Indian maritime dominance would likely result in their ships being bottled up in ports, much like in previous conflicts.

This scenario underscores why Islamabad perceives its coastline as one of its most vulnerable national assets—one easily targeted by Indian missile strikes and naval blockades, with devastating immediate and long-term economic and strategic consequences.

In conclusion, Pakistan’s coastline is a prime strategic weakness because it is geographically confined and militarily underdeveloped vis-à-vis India. Combined with the Indian Navy’s expanding capabilities, especially the presence of formidable carrier strike groups and missile-equipped vessels, Pakistan’s coastal security is increasingly seen as fragile.

Pak's reliance on limited and poorly defended ports makes it vulnerable to a maritime blockade and emphasizes its position as effectively landlocked at sea during hostilities—an ongoing strategic concern for Islamabad.

Based On India Today Report