Maritime trade: PM Shehbaz forms body to assess challenges

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has constituted a special committee to assess emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s maritime trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid evolving geopolitical tensions in the region.

The 11-member committee under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, constituted on the directives of the prime minister to formulate a comprehensive response strategy aimed at safeguarding Pakistan’s maritime trade interests, has been tasked with submitting its recommendations within two days.

Speaking at the meeting, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry noted that Pakistan’s ports possess significant untapped potential to attract international shipping lines for transhipment operations, which could also ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.

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The meeting reviewed potential risks and opportunities for the country’s maritime sector in light of shifting global trade routes and disruptions in key international waterways.

Junaid Chaudhry said the initiative reflected the government’s proactive approach to protecting Pakistan’s maritime interests while capitalising on changing global trade dynamics.

The participants deliberated on possible opportunities arising from the reported closure of major international shipping corridors and discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination.

The committee also reviewed proposals for amendments to relevant rules and regulations, if required, aimed at facilitating international transhipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals to enhance efficiency and ease of doing business.

Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transhipment hub and positioning it as an alternative to regional instability.The chairmen of Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust, and Gwadar Port Authority also attended the meeting through Zoom and were briefed on the current operational readiness, highlighting available capacity for container transhipment, bulk cargo handling, and refuelling services.

Members of the committee include Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Vice Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Rao (Retd), the secretaries of the ministries of maritime affairs, commerce, and petroleum and natural resources, Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Director General of the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), Member (Customs) FBR, Additional Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Senior Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Commerce.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani also made an insightful contribution during the meeting, emphasizing the need for the committee to present solid, practical, and time-bound recommendations to effectively address the emerging challenges facing Pakistan’s maritime trade.

Junaid Chaudhry concluded by saying that with coordinated planning and timely policy decisions, Pakistan can transform its ports into key transhipment and logistics hubs, strengthening the country’s position in global maritime trade while ensuring long-term economic sustainability.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026