Pakistan Enforcing International Maritime Standards, Says Junaid Anwar Chaudhry

• Maritime minister calls for stronger enforcement, training and coordination across the sector.
• Rs1.2 billion education fund planned; Rs12 billion Gadani shipbreaking yard upgrade underway.
• Pakistan aims to expand port capacity and develop greener, digitally connected maritime facilities.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Thursday that Pakistan was working to put international maritime standards into practice across its ports, shipping operations and training institutions.

In a message marking World Maritime Day, the minister said this year’s theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,” called for maritime policies and international standards to be backed by legislation, enforcement, training and stronger institutional capacity. He said government bodies, regulators, port authorities, shipping companies and other stakeholders needed to work together for those measures to be effective.

Chaudhry said technical cooperation and training were essential to improving the skills of seafarers and other maritime professionals. A Maritime Education Endowment Fund was being established with Rs1.2 billion in seed funding to support higher education and skills development for maritime communities. The Pakistan Marine Academy was also being upgraded into a degree-awarding institution.

On infrastructure, the minister said work had begun on a Rs12 billion project to modernise the Gadani shipbreaking yard. The upgrades are intended to bring the facility in line with international safety and environmental standards.

He also called for environmental protection to be built into maritime operations, including efforts to control marine pollution and move towards cleaner shipping. Ports were undertaking mangrove restoration initiatives, he said, while the Karachi Port Trust had started weekly marine pollution removal campaigns.

Chaudhry said practical improvements in port operations, shipping, maritime safety, seafarer training and environmental protection could support the UN Sustainable Development Goals on infrastructure and innovation, climate action, ocean protection and international partnerships.

Looking further ahead, he said Pakistan’s proposed “Maritime Century (2047–2147)” would focus on expanding deep-sea port capacity, developing AI-enabled industrial complexes for shipbuilding and ship recycling, producing ships locally, building green and digital ports with connections to other transport networks, and strengthening regional maritime cooperation.