Save PNS Hangor

[H Khan]

Dear members:

As you know that PNS Hangor is being scraped after being decommissioned. Zia has drafted a letter and I think we should all send one e-mail to all concerned individuals who can preserve this history ship of Pakistan.

If anyone can post President, Prime Minister, CNS, MoD, and Chairman JCOS e-mail we can send this e-mail. Thank you.


Sir,

It is a travesty that at least one of the recently retired Daphne class submarines is not being preserved in Karachi at the Naval Museum which I understand is very good. My firm belief is that PNS Hangor, (the one that sank INS Khukri in 1971) should be preserved not only because it sank an Indian warship during that war but because it was the first of two submarines since WWII to sink an enemy ship during wartime, (the other being HMS Conqueror - which sank the Belgrano during the Falklands War). PNS Hangor is therefore one area where Pakistan actually holds something of global significance in terms of maritime history and heritage.

Furthermore failure to preserve at least one of the submarines smacks of a country that does not care for maritime issues, and is unconcerned with the sacrifices and achievements of its navy. It would not be too hard to permanently dry dock it like the British have done with one of their ex-SSNs and the Australians have done in Fremantle with HMAS Ovens. This, on the grounds of the Naval Museum would be ideal but failing that it could be opened as an attraction in the harbour like the Australians have done in Sydney with HMAS Onslow.

I implore you sir, please exercise whatever power you may in this regard to prevent the irreplaceable loss of a part of Pakistani and global maritime heritage.

[Mujahid Achakzai]

If this is true than it surely doesn't reflect the sentiments of majority of Pakistanis. I'm sure that our military leadership would respond to the call for saving PNS Hangor from the 'Shipyard'. There should be, however, a coordinated effort by all of us in which ever way is required to halt this process. I'd like to see the senior members of this forum make some suggestions in this regard and get involved in the move to stop, what could possibly be called a 'National Monument' and/or a symbol of pride for Pakistan and Pakistanis.

If don't show any recognition, nor the will to safeguard Pakistan's treasures. Then i'd say that it is a disappointing display of patriotism!

[M.Ghaznavi]

you guys should post some contacts too. Of the officials.

[H Khan]

I have send e-mails to the letter to the editor of:

Dawn
Business Recorder
Pak Observer
Daily Times

[Mujahid Achakzai]

I have send e-mails to the letter to the editor of:

Dawn
Business Recorder
Pak Observer
Daily Times

Thats the spirit, good move H.Khan! But let all the senior members pitch in with more ideas that some of us may followup on and also contribute in stopping it.

[Hafeez]

Guys,

There is this website for President Pervez Musharref .We can submit messages using this page:
http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.p...ntMessage.aspx

Now do you guys want to submit individual emails or just one single for all of us????

I was going to send this letter posted above under the name of "PakDef Consortium" but then i thought it will be better if i ask you guys first.

[H Khan]

It is NOT "PakDef Consortium" but Pakistan Military Consortium.

I already send e-mails to President and other mentiuoned above via Pakistan Military Consortium

[Usman S.]

Here is the letter that I wrote and emailed.

Dear Sir,

Recently it was reported by several defence forces historians and enthusiasts on the internet (www.PakDef.info) that three retired Daphne Class submarines (Shushak, Mangro and Ghazi) of the Pakistan Navy have been sold to ship-breakers at Gadani.

These submarines served Pakistan and PN for more than 30 years and one of these Daphne Class submarines, PNS Hangor, also achieved a first, an enemy kill, for our navy, by sinking an Indian Navy Frigate Khukri during the 1971 war. It was the first time after the Second World War that a submarine had sunk an enemy warship during wartime. This has only been repeated by one other submarine to date, HMS Conqueror, when she sank the Argentine Cruiser Belgrano during the Falklands War.

This makes PNS Hangor somewhat a legend for naval historians throughout the world. For this reason and for the knowledge of coming generations it is imperative that we preserve this part of our naval history. I would request that at least PNS Hangor be spared the fate of other Daphne Class submarines and be preserved in a dry dock for general public at PN Museum Karachi, and if that is not possible then it should be placed somewhere in the harbour as a public attraction.

Pakistanis are habitually being accused of being sea-blind. Do we really have to prove this by destroying an important part of our naval history by own hands?

Kind regards,

Usman Shabbir
www.PakDef.info

[Hafeez]

It is NOT "PakDef Consortium" but Pakistan Military Consortium.

I already send e-mails to President and other mentiuoned above via Pakistan Military Consortium

Yeah the website does say "Pakistan Military Consortium" but on the main page it mentions PakDef as a military consortium

"The PakDef Military Consortium is an independent, non-governmental, non-political and non-profit association of Pakistani research, information dissemination and intelligence gathering facilities for the study of defence and strategic issues relating to Pakistan's geo-political and strategic threat environment.....more
"

Maybe that needs changing...

[Gulstan]

online petition as well

http://www.petitiononline.com/hangor/petition.html

[zia ul haq]

Asalamo-a-laikum.

That's the spirit guys!! Perhaps instead of just signing off on that letter and passing it off as you own guys do a bit of a variation. if they are actually reading the e-mails it will make it less repetitive.

Otherwise, just stick your name on it and e-mail away. These should be the only two options people entertain. It will take a minute, (if that) to send it so please do.

[SM Khan]

Can I suggest an e-mail be sent to Geo TV and ARY digital. If this is taken by any one of them it will be a very good way of getting the message across.

[zia ul haq]

Asalaamo-a-laikum.

I have it on good authority that Admiral Zahir Shah, (retd), is of the opinion that Hangor shall be saved.

It's not concrete yet I don't think but the idea may be there.

[zia ul haq]

Asalaamo-a-laikum.

Actually, I think I tell a lie. According to this:

"...she will be cut in sections, transported by road and then reassembled in the Maritime Museum near PNS Karsaz."

Hangor is to be preserved. It is from a newspaper piece that appeared in some of the Karachi newspapers when the decomissioning ceremony took place.

I guess she is pretty much safe then. I only hope they don't 'balls up' putting her back together. I've seen some examples of Pakistani preservation and I wasn't exactly impressed.

If PakDef was in charge on the other hand....

Any Australian resident members (lucky *******!), will be able to see two good examples of preserved Oberon class submarines. HMAS Onslow is preserved in Sydney's Darling Harbour at the martime museum there. She is berthed alongside HMAS Vampire the ex-Daring class destroyer. Visitors are allowed on board where volunteers (usually old men), will answer any questions and generally have a chat. In Fremantle on the other side of Australia HMAS Ovens is preserved at the maritime museum there, but with one crucial difference she is out of the water. She is also the most complete of the two with only her batteries removed, and unlike Onslow you are only allowed on board as part of a guided tour. During my tour two people had to be taken out because they became claustrophobic despite the sub being of a fairly considerable size and quite spacious inside. There was no 'hot-bunking' in these subs for example. I was taken on a tour by an ex-RAAF WWII B-24 Liberator pilot. A fantastic experience!!! So any Australian members need to get down to either place as soon as they can.

Anyway, we shall see if the above news was true.

[Shakeel Ahmed]

good to hear we didn't have to act.

this is our history, we must preserve it so in a thousand years time it can be remembered by our desendants.

In the UK a palace of georgian era (not particaularly glamourous) has recently been preserved despite the royal family not using since the dead of King Goerge the ? (the one that went mad).

[ABBASIA]

I think Hangor must have been saved as only three of 4 boats are going 4 dismantling to Gaddani shipyard.

[S Haider]

Can somone post the picture of these vessels. Now i am so keen to see them.