Pakistan Government unveils plan aimed at reviving PNSC
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
The government has unveiled a compact yet ambitious business plan for 2026–2030 to revive the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), under which the national fleet will be expanded to 54 vessels over the next five years, with the National Logistics Cell (NLC) set to play a role in shipping-related operations to boost national cargo capacity by 2030.
According to official details, PNSC operates only 10 vessels and currently carries around 11 percent of Pakistan’s seaborne trade, forcing the country to rely on foreign shipping companies for nearly 90 percent of its imports and exports. This dependence results in an estimated annual foreign exchange outflow of about USD 6 billion in freight charges.
Officials said the plan addresses long-standing structural issues, particularly the aging fleet, much of which is nearing the end of its operational life and may become commercially unviable after 2030. The challenge is further intensified by stricter decarbonization and emissions regulations under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which require newer, environmentally compliant vessels.
Reference Link:- https://www.brecorder.com/news/40399926
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
