KARACHI: The construction of a 1,100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container vessel for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) was launched on Tuesday to strengthen the country’s maritime sector and reduce reliance on foreign shipping lines.
The steel-cutting ceremony was held at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW), where Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry inaugurated the project. Senior officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, PNSC and KSEW were also present.
Addressing the ceremony, Junaid Chaudhry described the project as a strategic milestone for the maritime industry, saying it reflected the government’s commitment to revitalising the shipping and shipbuilding sectors in line with national economic priorities.
The 1,100-TEU vessel is being constructed using domestic resources and expertise, highlighting Pakistan’s growing shipbuilding capacity. Building the ship locally will strengthen maritime infrastructure and help reduce dependence on foreign carriers, he said.
The minister added that the induction of the new vessel into the PNSC fleet would help conserve foreign exchange by reducing freight payments abroad and enhance the corporation’s capacity to support Pakistan’s import and export trade.
Nearly 95 per cent of Pakistan’s trade volume is transported by sea, making a strong maritime sector essential for economic stability and growth, he said, adding that shipping and ship repair are key components of the country’s national maritime policy.
He also noted that the project would create employment opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers and contribute to industrial growth and technology transfer at Karachi Shipyard.
Once completed, the new container vessel is expected to enhance the PNSC’s operational capacity and competitiveness, supporting Pakistan’s trade logistics at a time of global supply chain volatility.
