NA body informed: Amendments proposed to KPT, GPA, PQA bills shared with MoF

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was informed that amendments proposed in the Karachi Port Trust, Gwadar Port Authority, and Port Qasim Authority bills have been shared with the Ministry of Finance for its opinion.

The Committee met here on Wednesday with MNA Abdul Qadir Patel in the chair.

The Committee was informed that the amendments proposed by the Committee in the Karachi Port Trust (Amendment) Bill, the Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, and the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill were shared with the Ministry of Finance as proposed by the Law and Justice Division. The opinion of the Ministry of Finance was placed before the Committee for its perusal. The inquiry report on the issue of held-up betel nut containers was also placed before the Committee. Detail report concerning the expenses incurred on the procurement of vessels from Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) was also placed before the Committee, and it was apprised that the provisions of Pakistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) rules were observed in letter and spirit.

READ ALSO: PQA to initiate open bidding for stevedoring cos to reduce high charges

The Committee considered all the Bills, i.e., the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Karachi Port Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2025. After detailed deliberations and discussions, the Committee unanimously decided to defer all the bills till its next meeting. The Committee recommended that the Ministry get advice from the Law and Justice Division on whether the “KPT is a trust and whether the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023, applies to it or not.”

Committee Chairman Abdul Qadir Patel appreciated the Ministry for its outstanding performance at the ports in the volatile situation of the region due to Iran America War.

Minister of State for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry expressed its gratitude to the Committee for its positive guidance. He further added that the KPT proved itself that it had the capacity to deal with every situation, and the workers did tremendous jobs even during the Eid holidays.

The Committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting and considered Agenda Item No. 2 regarding comprehensive reports on the implementation status of previous recommendations. The Committee reviewed each recommendation separately.

The meeting was attended by Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, MNAs Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Isphanyar Bhandara, Pullain Baloch, Hassaan Sabir, Ahmad Atteeq Anwer, Jam Abdul Kareem Bijar, Syed Rafiullah, Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs; in addition to the Secretary, officers, and staff from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, PQT, KPT, PNSC, and GPA attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026