Pakistan plans to establish three new ports and expand the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) fleet. An integrated maritime industrial complex will be built at Port Qasim, incorporating modern shipbuilding, ship recycling, and green technology. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) technology at the port will facilitate the contemporary handling of containers, reducing handling times. Additionally, the Pakistan Maritime Academy will undergo an upgrade, and efforts will be made to promote the Blue Economy, aiming to attract foreign investment in Pakistan’s marine sector.
Additionally, Gadani ship-breaking yard will undergo modernization at a cost of Rs 12 billion in Balochistan. Additionally, an effort will be made to overcome the $5 billion in sea freight earned by foreign shipping lines.
These were the highlights from the address by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, on Saturday. He unveiled a century-long roadmap aimed at transforming Pakistan into a major global maritime hub, presenting an ambitious framework titled “Pakistan’s Maritime Century (2047–147).”
According to an official handout, “Addressing the launch of Pakistan Maritime Week 2025 at Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Junaid Chaudhry described the initiative as a comprehensive plan to harness Pakistan’s strategic location, coastline, and port infrastructure to drive sea-led economic growth and innovation. The long-term vision, he said, seeks to position Pakistan as a leading player in the global blue economy while strengthening its maritime independence and sustainability”.
Outlining a five-pillar strategy for the sector’s growth, the minister said the plan focuses on expanding port capacity, modernizing the shipping fleet, developing shipbuilding and recycling facilities, promoting green maritime technology, and investing in human resource development. “This is not just a plan for today, but a commitment to the next hundred years of maritime excellence,” he said.
Minister Chaudhry announced that the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) will expand its fleet to 30 ships within the next year and to 60 boats over the next three years. The goal, he said, is to reduce the country’s $5 billion annual sea freight bill by building self-sufficiency in maritime logistics.
The minister also revealed plans to establish a state-of-the-art Integrated Maritime Complex that will house shipbuilding, ship recycling, and green technology u“its. “We are laying the foundation of Pakistan’s industrial and environmental transformation in the maritime domain,” he said.
He said work with a budget of PKR 12 billion on the Gaddani project has started, which will upgrade ship recycling facilities along the Balochistan coast. An endowment education fund has also been created to support the children of port communities. These steps, he added, aim to ensure that coastal populations directly benefit from the economic opportunities generated by maritime development.
Highlighting Pakistan’s geographic position at the crossroads of key global trade routes, the minister said the country“must “recognize its geography and leverage it to become a maritime power in the region.
Pakistan’s maritime sector contributes 0.8 percent to the national GDP, a figure Junaid Chaudhry said the government aims to raise to 4 percent by expanding trade, ports, and ocean-based industries.
He also pledged to enhance operational efficiency at Pakistan’s ports, noting that they are presently functioning at 50 percent capacity. “We will take this to full operational capacity before 2047,” he said, adding that the government will soon begin work on three new ports to strengthen the country’s maritime infrastructure further.
In a passionate closing note, Minister Chaudhry reflects Karachi’s symbolic importance as the birthplace of Pakistan’s founding vision. “My goals may seem unreal,” he said, “but I stand in the city of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who created this nation from a dream. If we all work together with unity and purpose, we can bring our maritime vision to life. The minister’s remarks marked the formal opening of Pakistan Maritime Week 2025, which brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to chart the country’s course toward a sustainable and prosperous maritime future.
