Pakistan Marine Academy set to gain degree-awarding status, NA bill to be tabled soon

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced that a bill to grant degree-awarding status to the Pakistan Marine Academy will soon be presented before the National Assembly, marking a significant step towards strengthening the country’s maritime education framework.

The federal minister made these remarks during his visit to the academy, where he was briefed by Acting Commandant Muhammad Asif Farooq on ongoing institutional developments and training initiatives, read a press release on Thursday.

Chaudhry said consultations with all relevant stakeholders had been completed regarding the proposed upgrade of the academy into a degree-awarding institute. “The bill will be tabled in the National Assembly for final approval in due course,” he added.

During the briefing, Commandant Farooq highlighted measures undertaken under the prime minister’s maritime sector reform initiative. He said personnel from Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim Authority and Gwadar Port Authority had received specialised training, including basic firefighting and the Navi-Trainer Professional courses conducted in November 2025.

He further noted that 14 instructors at the academy had achieved the status of qualified trainers, enhancing the institution’s training capacity.

The acting commandant also said that development projects of phase one at the academy would receive financial support amounting to Rs421 million through corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim Authority and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

Emphasising inclusivity, Chaudhry directed the academy to expand its training programmes to students from Balochistan. He added that assistance would also be sought from the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and the Benazir Income Support Programme to support the initiative.