KARACHI: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday formed a high-level committee to identify locations for new deep-sea ports along Pakistan’s 1,024-kilometer coastline as the country prepares for a century of expanding maritime trade.
Pakistan’s existing ports— Karachi Port, Port Qasim and Gwadar— are expected to reach full capacity between 2035 and 2045 due to rising industrial output, transit trade from Afghanistan and Central Asia and growing shipping volumes in the wider Indian Ocean. The coastline also faces rapid urbanization, tourism development and competition for seafront land, limiting space for new maritime infrastructure.
Port development is critical for Pakistan’s long-term economic plans. The government projects the economy could reach $1 trillion between 2030 and 2035, while the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone spans 240,000 square kilometers, giving it significant potential in shipping, logistics, fisheries and offshore energy.
Deep-sea ports are also central to Pakistan’s ambitions under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor and broader blue-economy strategies.
“The next century belongs to the oceans,” Chaudhry said. “Pakistan must plan today for the ports, trade routes, and maritime industries of tomorrow.”
Chaudhry said he would attend the committee’s first meeting next week as part of his “Hundred Years Vision 2047–2147,” which he announced during National Maritime Week in Karachi last week.
The 12-member body will meet every two weeks and submit a full feasibility report— covering technical surveys, hydrographic maps, satellite imagery and investment recommendations— within three months.
The minister noted that Port Qasim is currently operating at about 65 percent capacity, Karachi Port at 52 percent, and Gwadar between 5 and 10 percent. With regional trade expected to rise sharply, he warned that congestion at all three ports could “pose serious challenges” without new facilities capable of handling larger ships and modern logistics systems.
The newly constituted committee includes representatives from all three port authorities, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Surveyor General’s office, national hydrographers, and the governments of Sindh and Balochistan.
Its mandate includes assessing environmental and security considerations, evaluating connectivity needs such as road and rail links, reviewing industrial and logistics corridors and recommending layouts and investment models for prospective deep-sea ports, shipyards and coastal energy hubs.
Coordination with provincial governments will be central to ensuring a unified national approach to maritime development, the minister added.
