Consistent with the government’s Blue Economy initiative, Nadir Mumtaz Warriach, the Chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT), has announced to start an international ferry service from Karachi port.
Addressing the press at the passing out parade of Pakistan Marine Academy, the Chairman revealed that the ferry cruise terminal at the port is about to be ready soon, as ordered by the federal cabinet.
Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Pakistan Customs, and various other relevant agencies will be looking over as well as regulating the international ferry service.
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Talking about the number of national fleets the country has had in the past two decades, the chairman apprised that the number has increased in the past few years as a result of increased commercial-level development at Karachi and Gwadar port. This increase in the number of fleets is also being backed up by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.
Apart from the aforementioned development, chairman Warriach also expressed a need to establish a maritime university, which could train and cater to individuals who want to transform the Karachi port. To bring turn this vision into reality, a thorough feasibility report was sent to the cabinet last year by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, which is being reviewed at the moment and depends on the Economic Affairs Divison’s instructions.
Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said recognizing the importance of the world’s oceans as a global public commodity is pertinent. Pakistan was committed to promoting the prudent use of marine resources for socio-economic development while ensuring environmental sustainability.
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“We are ready to cooperate and collaborate with other friendly nations and partners around the world, to realize this goal for the mutual benefit of the entire humanity,” the Foreign Minister said while addressing the International Maritime Conference titled “Development of Blue Economy under a Secure and Sustainable Environment.”
The Foreign Minister said to bring the blue economy to the center of the national economic development paradigm, there was a need to create awareness among all stakeholders about its potential economic, social, and environmental benefits, and to create an enabling ecosystem to help attract investments in related sectors.
He said as part of economic diplomacy initiatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s Missions abroad, in collaboration with the concerned ministries, had been actively engaged in attracting investments to the maritime sector.
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He stressed the need for concerted efforts to strengthen partnerships and collaboration among businesses, academia, research institutions, and social and environmental organizations to unlock new opportunities.
The Foreign Minister said the idea of a blue economy recognized the seas and oceans as drivers of socio-economic development and encompassed diverse fields from renewable energy to fisheries, coastal tourism, waste management, maritime transport, ocean engineering, and climate change.