Islamabad: The 12th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was held on Tuesday at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA.
The meeting began with recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by collective prayers in remembrance of the tragic Army Public School (APS) incident. The Committee paid solemn tribute to the APS martyrs, as well as to all soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives in various incidents across the country, praying for elevation of their ranks, eternal peace for the departed souls, and patience for their bereaved families.
The Committee also accorded a warm send-off to the Secretary of the Committee on his retirement upon attaining the age of superannuation. The Chairman and Members placed on record their deep appreciation for his dedicated, sincere, and meritorious services, acknowledging his professionalism, commitment, and valuable contributions to the parliamentary process, and wished him good health and success in future endeavors.
The Committee confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting and took up the agenda item regarding implementation of earlier recommendations. Each recommendation was reviewed individually. While some were found satisfactorily implemented and disposed of, the Committee expressed dissatisfaction over others and recommended further action after detailed briefings supported by documentary evidence. These included matters relating to utilization of CSR funds, provision of original agreements signed by Karachi Port Trust (KPT) with KGTL and KGTML, lease policy implementation, outsourcing of firefighting services resulting in annual savings of PKR 35 million, and a proposal under consideration for establishment of a public Facilitation Center. Regarding written questions, it was decided that if any Honorable Member remains dissatisfied after reviewing replies, a separate meeting may be arranged with the Secretary KPT.
The Committee also 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, and the Karachi Port Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2025. After detailed deliberations and expression of reservations by Members, the Committee deferred all the Bills until the next meeting. Members were directed to submit their suggestions or proposed amendments in writing to the Secretary of the Committee by January 1, 2026, for consideration. Although the Ministry of Law highlighted that the Hazardous Material Bill aims to fulfill obligations under the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009, the Committee decided to defer it as well.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Romina Khurshid Alam, Isphanyar M. Bhandara, Syed Rafiullah, Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Hassan Sabir, Muhammad Usman Badini, and Pullain Baloch, along with the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs. Senior officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and its attached departments, including Port Qasim Trust, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, and Gwadar Port Authority, were also present.