Pakistan will mark Maritime Week from November 1 to 7, 2025, showcasing its maritime potential and launching a series of new initiatives, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion of World Maritime Day 2025, themed “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,” the minister outlined ambitious projects, including upgrading Gaddani Ship Recycling Yards to Hong Kong Convention standards, establishing an Artificial Intelligence Maritime Secretariat (AIMS), digitizing seaport operations, and expanding the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation fleet to 30 vessels within a year. He also revealed plans for maritime incubators, the country’s first solar-powered fishing boat, and digital pollution monitoring systems at Karachi Port.
Scientific surveys will be conducted in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while Gwadar Port and Free Zone will be developed in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards, Chaudhry said.
Highlighting Pakistan’s strategic position along the Arabian Sea, the minister stressed both “opportunities and responsibilities” in balancing development with conservation. He called for stronger regional cooperation, scientific research, and public awareness campaigns, while urging greater involvement of youth, women, and local communities in the maritime sector.
Chaudhry warned that the world’s oceans are under growing pressure from climate change, plastic waste, untreated effluents, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification. He emphasized that oceans are at a “pivotal point” for sustainability, economic growth, and global security, urging governments, industries, scientists, and citizens to share responsibility for their protection.
The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to international maritime and climate agreements, citing mangrove restoration and wetland conservation projects as examples of national adaptation measures. He also praised technological advances in maritime logistics, digital monitoring, and renewable ocean energy as crucial for building a “green blue economy.”
Concluding his message, Chaudhry paid tribute to seafarers, fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, and port operators, saying their daily contributions embodied the spirit of World Maritime Day.
