The 15th meeting of the Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs of the National Assembly was convened today, i.e. 08th July 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Constitution Room, Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA.

2. The meeting commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by collective prayers in remembrance of the civilians and members of the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies who embraced martyrdom or lost their lives in various tragic incidents across different parts of the country.

 

3. At the very outset, the Hon. Chairman introduced Mr. Muhammad Rajpar, Chairman, Pakistan Ships Agents Association. He sought the consensus of the Committee to permit him to attend the meeting as a special invitee to assist and apprise the Committee with his views and expert opinion, as and when required during the proceedings. With the Committee's consent, he joined the meeting as a special invitee. Mr. Muhammad Rajpar appreciated the efforts of the Hon. Minister in addressing the longstanding issues confronting the maritime and shipping sector. He informed the Committee that several matters which had remained unresolved for many years had been taken up by the Minister and resolved within a period of one month. He also acknowledged and appreciated the Committee for its keen interest and proactive consideration of issues affecting the shipping industry.

 

4. The Committee confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting and considered Agenda Item No. 2 regarding comprehensive reports on the implementation status of previous recommendations. The Committee reviewed each recommendation individually. During the detailed deliberations, the Commissioner informed the Committee that, pursuant to its earlier recommendations, a case for the allotment of 300 acres of land for the proposed parking facility had been forwarded to the Board of Revenue for consideration. The Minister stated that, following the earlier site inspection and consultations between the Department and the Commissioner's Office, an allotment of approximately 650 acres had originally been proposed. The Committee observed that the proposed allotment of 300 acres would be inadequate to meet the existing and future parking requirements. Accordingly, it recommended that the adjoining land be earmarked and reserved for the future expansion of the parking facility. The Committee further recommended that the case for the allotment of the earmarked land be processed on a priority basis and finalized expeditiously.it was also recommended that direction be issued to the Revenue Department to take up the matter on a priority basis.

 

5. During the detailed briefing, the Inspector General, Traffic Police, Sindh, informed the Committee that all its previous directions had been duly implemented and complied with. The Committee further recommended that the Traffic Police consider the deployment of 25 traffic personnel around Pakistan House and the premises of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic and reduce congestion in the area. The Committee was informed that the KPT is ready to provide all necessary logistical and administrative support to facilitate the proposed deployment. The Committee also directed that the National Highway Authority (NHA) be invited to attend the next meeting to brief the Committee on the ongoing and proposed projects aimed at addressing traffic congestion in and around the Karachi Port area.

 

6. The Committee also constituted a Sub-Committee, under the convenership of Mr. Hassan Sabir, comprising Mr. Pullain Baloch and Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, MNAs, as members to consider:

(i) the Karachi Port Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and

(ii) the proposal for the allotment of the adjoining land in addition to the 300 acres already recommended for allotment for the Karachi Port Trust's proposed parking facility, with a view to meeting its future expansion requirements.

 

7. The Committee considered the Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025. After detailed deliberations, the Committee adopted minor amendments to both Bills and recommended that the Bills, as amended, be passed.

 

8. The Committee considered the Carriage Shipping Documents Bill, 2026 and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2026. After detailed deliberations, the Committee recommended that the Bills, as introduced, be passed by the National Assembly.

 

9. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Hon. Minister briefed the Committee that, owing to the dedicated efforts and hard work of the Ministry and its affiliated organizations, Pakistan's ports had achieved a significant improvement in their international rankings. He stated that the progress was tangible and reflected the Ministry's sustained commitment to enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of the country's maritime sector. The Hon. Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Committee for its constructive guidance, continued oversight, and serious consideration of issues relating to the maritime sector, which had contributed to the Ministry's improved performance.

The Hon. Chairman and the Committee appreciated the performance of the Hon. Minister, his team, the Chairmen and staff of all Port Authorities, the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), and the Fisheries Department for their dedicated efforts and valuable contributions towards improving the performance of Pakistan's maritime sector.

 

10. The meeting was attended by Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, MNA; Mr.Ahmad Atteeq Anwer, MNA, Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, MNA; Jam Abdual Karim Bijar, MNA; Syed Rafiullah, MNA; Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, MNA; Mr. Hassan Sabir, MNA; Mr. Muhammad Usman Badini, MNA; Mr. Pullain Baloch, MNA, the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs; in addition to the officers, and staff from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, attended the meeting.