Meeting pushes for boosting ports' efficiency

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting to assess the preparedness of Pakistan's ports amid the evolving regional situation and devise strategies to position the harbours as a premier regional transit and transshipment hub.

The meeting brought together major stakeholders including representatives of shipping lines and terminal operators to ensure seamless maritime trade, boost operational efficiency, enhance feeder connectivity and streamline business procedures, said a press release issued on Wednesday.

Discussions covered regulatory challenges, digitisation, stakeholder coordination and opportunities to attract regional cargo, with emphasis on promoting Karachi as a reliable maritime gateway.

Chaudhry stated that the government was taking practical measures to transform Pakistani ports into a key regional transshipment centre by adopting a coordinated stakeholder approach. He stressed the importance of expanding port capacity, fortifying logistics networks and promoting feeder services to meet growing trade demands.