Pakistan’s maritime sector achieved a record Rs100 billion ($360 million) profit in 2025, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Saturday, attributing the success to a series of reforms across ports, shipping, and fisheries.
Addressing the media, Chaudhry described 2025 as a “transformative year” for the sector, highlighting more than two dozen initiatives including legislative updates, digitization, infrastructure development, and human resource optimisation.
“These reforms are modernising our ports, shipping, and fisheries to unlock the true potential of the blue economy,” the minister said, noting that Pakistan’s regulatory framework had been aligned with international standards, including conventions of the International Maritime Organization and the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling.
Karachi Port recorded a cargo handling milestone of 54 million tons, while the average vessel dwell time was reduced by 24 to 36 hours through improved coordination among port authorities, customs, and other agencies. The reforms aimed to achieve an average vessel turnaround of five days.
The government also approved a National Shipping Policy, Chaudhry added, aimed at expanding the Pakistan-flagged fleet and reducing reliance on foreign carriers, a longstanding drain on foreign exchange. “Cost-cutting measures have delivered substantial savings,” he noted, highlighting that reduced overtime at the Karachi Port Trust alone saved about Rs70 million per month, while the abolition of 2,152 redundant posts across maritime entities lowered human resource costs by billions of rupees.
Efforts to reclaim encroached land yielded significant results. The Karachi Port Trust and the Port Qasim Authority together reclaimed approximately 150 acres of land valued at around Rs110 billion, while Port Qasim recovered an additional eight acres.
Chaudhry also announced the launch of the Pakistan Maritime Century Framework 2047–2147 to guide long-term development of the sector. He said an Artificial Intelligence Maritime Secretariat had been established to monitor ports, governance had shifted to a 100 percent paperless system, and the Pakistan Single Window was integrated with the Port Community System to streamline trade procedures. Additionally, an electronic public asset disposal system was introduced to enhance transparency and efficiency.
On fisheries, the minister stated that stakeholder consultations on the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy had concluded. The policy targets annual seafood exports of $2 billion and aims to create around two million jobs across coastal communities and related industries. “Sustained implementation will be key to maintaining the momentum of these achievements,” Chaudhry said, adding that the gains made in 2025 provide a strong foundation for turning Pakistan’s long coastline and strategic location into a durable blue economic advantage.
