The Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, convened a meeting at PNSC Building on Thursday 28 September to review the status of the various projects of the organizations and departments falling under the Ministry of Ports and Shipping. The meeting was attended by the Director General Ports and Shipping Wing, Karachi Mr. Asad Chandna, Chairman PNSC Mr. Arif Elahi, Executive Directors of PNSC, senior officers from KPT, PQA and Fisheries Department.

Ch. Jaffar Iqbal commended PNSC’s management on its consistent performance and rising profitability despite the recession in the global shipping sector. He highlighted the increase in the Corporation’s EPS and doubling of its share price on the stock exchange within the past one year. The matter of improvement in PNSC’s credit rate also came under discussion. The Minister appreciated the positive role being played by PNSCtowards coming up with new projects essential for strengthening the country’s maritime sector. These projects include oil storage facilities at Keamari and Gwadar, new marine workshop at Gwadar, provision of allied marine services by PNSC to ports in Pakistan, fleet development activities and ·ferry service between Karachi and Gwadar.

He emphasized the importance of these projects for supporting the government’s CPEC initiative and stressed the timely completion of the projects within the assigned budget for each project. The Minister assured the participants of the government’s support in ensuring that the projects are executed in a transparent manner and in compliance of all underlying rules and regulations. Taking personal interest in the said projects Ch. Jaffa-r lqbal assured the participants that he shall periodically visit the project sites personally from time to time and instructed that periodic updates be provided to him on time. The Minister also undertook to personally intervene to remover impediments and hurdles that the projects may encounter during execution phase.