Written by: Mahnaz Shujrah
Posted on: December 03, 2020 | 
Sunset at PNS Hangor
I found myself scanning the internet and asking around for suggestions in search of a socially distant yet interesting way to spend an evening in Karachi. What caught my attention was when a family friend asked, “Have you ever been inside a submarine?”. I was instantly fascinated, and suddenly aware that I in fact had never seen a real submarine from within. This was the conversation which brought me to the Pakistan Navy Submarine Hangor in Pakistan Maritime Museum the very next day.
Pakistan Maritime Museum is a museum and amusement park under the Pakistan Navy established in 1997, and located centrally in the Karsaz area of Karachi. Its aim was to care for, and collect artifacts and objects of maritime and scientific importance. The 28-acre complex includes a variety of different structures, such as the main Navy museum building which includes multiple exhibits and works of art, a food court, walking tracks, artificial ponds, and heritage artifacts from the Pakistan Navy. Among these, PN Submarine ‘Hangor’ is a popular attraction as an immersive experience. While the entry ticket to the Museum and the submarine are separate, both are nominal fees.
Inside the Maritime Museum and The Maritime Museum
As a non-Karachiite, I was very excited to explore something new, and being a history enthusiast, my mind raised questions about the story behind this 58-meter-long preserved piece of machinery with the state of the art equipment of its time. While the park used to remain open late in ordinary circumstances, due to restrictions during the Covid-19 period, it is only open for limited hours during the day.
The Ship's Stearing
PNS Hangor was designed in France and received by Pakistan after considerable negotiations. It is a Daphne class submarine which runs on diesel and electricity, and to my surprise, runs completely on battery while submerged underwater. On the premises, there is an enlarged copy on display of the Commissioning Order, stating that the vessel was signed into duty on December 1st, 1969 by Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hasan, Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Navy at the time, while Commander Ahmad Tasnim was the first commanding officer of the PN Submarine Hangor S131.
We entered the vessel through a door near the engine side and proceeded to walk down a narrow aisle towards the tail end. A small doorway made way to the different sections, including the main control room, monitoring section, the accommodations, and weaponry.
The Entrance to the Submarine
The machinery was immeasurably extensive, since this model was built during 1960’s and technology has advanced greatly since, making modern equipment highly compact and more efficient. Looking at the plethora of buttons, one realizes that operating such machinery would have taken great concentration and training.
One gets the impression that this submarine is still frozen in time, and that the designs and aesthetics of the 60’s were prevalent in both the large structures and the the little details. Walking into the space was reminiscent of the depictions of submarines in the spy films and television series, in which the actors casually toured the vessel among bright colors and loud noises. But in reality, the space was very constrained and almost suffocating, except for the Captain’s quarters. One cannot help but wonder how crew members managed to walk without colliding into each other, much less work together during missions.
The equipment was well preserved and maintained and each area was labeled clearly. However, as a layman, I feel it would have been a great aid to have specific names or explanations of the different machines. This would satisfy the visitors’ interest, and especially serve as an educational experience for students.
The Controls and Devices
Luckily during our visit, we encountered an ex-crewmember who had served on the vessel for sixteen years, and who was more than willing to share with us his insights and experiences. He explained that when the submarine was still operating, there was a capacity of around 52 crew members at one time, and sleeping arrangements for 26 at a time as they rotated shifts every four hours. Currently, there is a small seating area near the bunk beds, for visitors to sit and watch a documentary on an elevated television screen, sharing the valiant tale of PNS Hangor and PNS Ghazi during the 1971 war.
The submarine was deployed during the war along with PNS Ghazi, a much older but long-range submarine. PNS Hangor, under its commanding officer and crew, carried out their mission courageously. On December 9th, PNS Hangor encountered the Indian submarines, INS Kirpan and INS Khukri. The documentary had clips of the PNS Hangor, also called “The Shark”, and how it initially attacked INS Kirpan but upon launching the second torpedo, hit INS Khukri which had come into range. The sinking of INS Khukri was a devastating loss for the Indian Navy. However, Pakistan Navy had its own share of tragedy, as PNS Ghazi was sunk in the Bay of Bengal, although the circumstances of its sinking are heavily debated. Counting the losses on each side makes on realize the difficult nature of these missions, especially underwater during wartime. It was a unique experience watching the action on screen while sitting inside the very same submarine.
PNS Hangor in the 1970s
PNS Hangor continued to serve in the Pakistan Navy until 2006, when it was decommissioned and given to the Museum. Hangor Day is celebrated annually on December 9th and is a source of pride for the country, though more people should know about it. People should be aware of the Maritime Museum and all its fascinating exhibits. There is great potential to make the submarine museum experience more interactive and immersive. But for now, in the context of Covid-19 SOPS and protocols, this trip proved to be convenient, informative, and inspiring.
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