ISLAMABAD: Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a high-level review meeting on Friday to accelerate work on the Sea-to-Steel Initiative at Port Qasim.
The meeting focused on the proposed Integrated Maritime Industrial Complex (IMIC), a flagship initiative aimed at modernising industrial operations through port infrastructure upgrades, shipbuilding and recycling facilities, and an integrated steel mill.
Representatives of China’s Shandong Xinxu Group and senior officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs attended the meeting, while Chairperson of Port Qasim Authority Rear Admiral (r) Syed Moazzam Ilyas joined via video link from Karachi.
The IMIC comprises three core components, including the revival and upgrading of the Iron Ore and Coal Berth (IOCB) jetty. The facility is planned to handle ship recycling and repair, with scrap generated from these activities to be used as input for the steel mill.
Branded as the ‘Sea-to-Steel Green Maritime Industrial Corridor’, the project seeks to link ship recycling with domestic steel production in a bid to reduce reliance on imported raw materials and utilise recyclable scrap.
The Chinese group, which has expressed interest in the project, will submit a comprehensive unsolicited feasibility study, including financial impact assessments, structural and hydrographic analyses, and quantitative risk evaluations.
Addressing the meeting, the minister described IMIC as a potential driver of the blue economy, aimed at generating industrial value through maritime assets. “Once submitted, the proposal will undergo thorough review before any decision,” Chaudhry said. “If approved, IMIC would rank among Pakistan’s largest recent maritime and industrial investments, positioning Port Qasim as a regional hub for heavy industry and logistics.”
Pakistan is seeking to attract foreign investment in ports and industry to boost exports, create jobs and ease foreign exchange pressures. The minister noted that integrated recycling, manufacturing and logistics projects could help reduce steel imports and support domestic production.
He added that any approval of the project would depend on its alignment with national priorities, including job creation, value addition and sustainable development standards.
