ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of National Assembly on Maritime Affairs expressed concern over alleged violations of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules in direct procurement of crafts and vessels by the Karachi Port Trust from the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works. The committee observed interpretation of prime minister’s directive by KPT was not only incorrect but had also misled the committee.
The meeting of the standing committee was held under the chairmanship of Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA, at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry assured the committee, in line with prime minister’s vision, PPRA rules would be observed in letter and spirit in every case. The committee emphasised no violation of PPRA rules would be tolerated.
At the outset, the committee expressed concern over the absence of secretary of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and directed in future, the secretary must inform the committee secretary in advance if unable to attend a meeting.
The committee directed the Karachi Port Trust to submit a report within one week regarding delay in clearance of containers stuck at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), including full details of containers, reasons for delay and identification of those responsible for such an inordinate delay. The committee further observed any shipment booked prior to changes in applicable laws must be governed by the law in force at the time of booking.
To resolve the issue, the committee constituted a sub-committee under chairmanship of chairman KPT, including representatives from the Ministry of Law, Federal Board of Revenue, and Plant Protection Department, with instructions to settle the matter within one week.
The committee expressed satisfaction over continued monitoring of outsourced firefighting services arrangements by KPT. It also appreciated prompt response of KPT in controlling the fire that broke out in the KICT premises on January 16, 2026. On the request of minister for maritime affairs, the committee decided to issue letters of appreciation to Chairman KPT Rear Admiral Kashif and firefighting team for their services.
The committee considered several bills, including: The Environmentally Sound Management of Inventory of Hazardous Material on Ships Bill, 2025; The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; The Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; The Karachi Port Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2025. After detailed deliberations, the committee unanimously approved Environmentally Sound Management of Inventory of Hazardous Material on Ships Bill, 2025, and deferred the remaining bills to next meeting.
