Pakistan has decided to offer off-dock and on-dock terminal facilities to vessels stranded in the sea following the US-Israel and Iran war.

At present, Pakistan has 23 shipping lines that offer off-dock and on-dock terminal services. Sources told The Express Tribune that 50,000 containers of importers and exporters had been stuck in the sea due to tensions in the Gulf region. The government is also working to rescue these containers.

According to sources, it is easy to provide on-dock terminal services to the arriving ships as scanning and other necessary systems and facilities are available there. However, it may be difficult to offer off-dock terminals, which are far away from terminals in the sea. “The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has already provided a terminal to two ships that were stuck in the sea and one more vessel is also reaching,” sources said, adding that it was an opportunity for Pakistan to generate revenue as well.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to assess the emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid geopolitical tensions in the region. An 11-member committee, constituted on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to formulate a comprehensive response strategy aimed at safeguarding Pakistan’s maritime trade interests, has been tasked with submitting its recommendations within two days.

Speaking at the meeting, Junaid Anwar noted that Pakistan’s ports possess significant untapped potential to attract international shipping lines for transshipment operations, which could also ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.

The meeting reviewed potential risks and opportunities for the country’s maritime sector in light of the shifting global trade routes and disruptions in key international waterways.

The federal minister said the initiative reflected the government’s proactive approach to protecting Pakistan’s maritime interests while capitalising on the changing global trade dynamics. Meeting participants deliberated on the opportunities arising from the reported closure of major international shipping corridors and discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination.

The committee also reviewed proposals for amendments to relevant rules and regulations, aimed at facilitating international transshipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals to enhance efficiency and ease of doing business. Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transshipment hub and positioning it as an alternative in the face of regional instability.

Chairmen of Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust and Gwadar Port Authority also attended the meeting through zoom and briefed it on their operational readiness while highlighting the available capacity for container transshipment, bulk cargo handling and refueling services.

Members of the committee include Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Maritime Affairs Vice Admiral (Retd) Iftikhar Ahmed Rao, secretaries of ministries of maritime affairs, commerce, and petroleum and natural resources, chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, director general of National Logistics Corporation, member (Customs) FBR, additional secretary PM Office and senior technical adviser at the Ministry of Commerce.

Bilal Azhar Kayani, while sharing his insights, emphasised the need for the committee to present solid, practical and time-bound recommendations to effectively address the emerging challenges facing Pakistan’s maritime trade. At the conclusion, the minister said that with coordinated planning and timely policy decisions, Pakistan could transform its ports into key transshipment and logistics hubs, strengthen the country’s position in global maritime trade and ensure long-term economic sustainability.