ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf said this week that the country is building its first indigenously designed frigate-sized warship called “Jinnah Class Frigates” to address the challenges presented by the prevalent multi-threat maritime environment.
A frigate-sized warship is a multi-mission naval vessel, typically 100-150 meters in length, with a displacement of 2,000-4,000 tons. Frigates are designed for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and have air defense capabilities. They are equipped with a mix of guns, missiles, torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets.
Pakistan has been attempting to bolster its naval capabilities through the induction of advanced warships. Recently, it inducted PNS Babur and PNS Hunain, two state-of-the-art vessels, into its fleet. These warships are part of a broader effort to enhance the country’s maritime security and operational readiness.
In an interview with Naval News website on Monday, which covers naval defense and technology, Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Ashraf highlighted that the Pakistan was focusing on inducting modern platforms, force multipliers, and indigenization apart from ensuring a variety of options to reduce reliance on external sources.
“Based on experience gained during the construction of MILGEM Class Ships, the Pakistan Navy is planning to build JINNAH Class Frigates which will be our first ever indigenously designed and built frigate-sized warship,” he said.
The report said Pakistan inducted Type 054 A/P Frigates from China, OPVs Batch-1 and Batch-II from Romania, and MILGEM Class Corvette from Turkiye, adding that these will add to the navy’s existing defense capabilities.
PNS Babur, constructed in Turkiye and PNS Hunain, an offshore patrol vessel from Romania, are equipped with cutting-edge technology to address both surface and air threats.
“Pakistan Navy is in the process of inducting the remaining MILGEM class ships as two of these ships are being constructed indigenously in Pakistan (KS&EW),” the naval chief was quoted as saying.
“Our development strategy is based on ‘progressive capability enhancement’ to create a balanced, potent, and combat-ready force to deal with the evolving threats through the acquisition of force multipliers, and indigenous and innovative technical solutions.”
Pakistan to build its first indigenously designed and built frigate-sized warship — naval chief
https://arab.news/jdzsc
Pakistan to build its first indigenously designed and built frigate-sized warship — naval chief
- Frigates are designed for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and have air defense capabilities
- Pakistan has been actively working to bolster its naval capabilities by inducting advanced warships
Cricket, travel, entertainment dominate Pakistan’s TikTok searches in 2025
- TikTok releases annual review of most searched items in Pakistan ranging from sports to movies and music
- Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam’s century was the most searched moment on TikTok this year, reveals platform
ISLAMABAD: TikTok this week released its annual review of the most searched topics in Pakistan in 2025, with travel, food, sports and entertainment driving digital searches, the video platform said.
In a press release, TikTok said its search patterns depicted that people use the platform as a “discovery tool for real life” where they explore destinations and find relatable guidance from influencers on various topics.
“Whether it’s tracking the latest cricket moment, planning a weekend trip, learning something new, or checking reviews before buying, Pakistanis are turning to TikTok to make everyday decisions,” Umais Naveed, content operations lead South Asia at TikTok, said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to TikTok, among places, the most searched were Islamabad, Altit Fort in Hunza, Chenab River and Pakistani cities of Lahore and Karachi.
In the “Most Searched News and Moments” category, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s century against Sri Lanka dominated the searches, followed by Pakistan’s cricket matches against South Africa and Sri Lanka. “Floods” was also a popular search item in this category.
“Jhol,” a Pakistani song by singers Maanu and Annural Khalid dominated the category of “Most Searched Soundtracks” while “Supreme” by Indian artist Shubh and “Pal Pal” by Afusic were also among the most searched songs this year.
“Lava burger” and “Dubai Chocolate” were among the most searched food items this year on TikTok while Azam was the most searched sportsperson in the country, followed by Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma.
Alina Amir, Jannat Mirza, Khizar Umer and Kanwal Aftab were among the most searched TikTok creators in 2025 while Imran Ashraf, Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan were among the most searched celebrities on the social media platform.
TikTok said searches linked to the hashtag #TravelTok increased by 53 percent this year while those with #FoodTok rose by 52 percent. Another popular hashtag #StudyTok searches were up by 60 percent while #FitnessTok recorded the largest jump of the year, growing by 66 percent year-on-year.
“TikTok remains committed to supporting a vibrant creative community in Pakistan and to making discoveries simpler, more joyful, and more meaningful for everyone who comes to TikTok to find their next inspiration,” the platform said.
