ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) Arif Elahi said on Wednesday that after the purchasing of new vessels the rating of the corporation has doubled and the load capacity has reached upto 700,000 tonnes .
He briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping held here at Parliament House under chairmanship of Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah. The meeting was attended by Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, Ch. Hamid Hameed, Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sherazi, Rana Muhamamd Hayat Khan, Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmad, Shaheen Shafiq, Romina Khurshid Alam, Khalil George, Mir Aamir Ali Khan Magsi, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Lal Chand Malhi, Mohammad Salman Khan Baloch, Ch. Tariq Bashir Cheema, Mohammad Jamal-ud-Din, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Secretary, Ministry of Ports and Shipping and other senior officers from the ministry attended the meeting.
The PNSC chairman informed the NA body that the issue of duties which was a big hindrance in acquiring vessels has been resolved on the recommendation of the standing committee.Three ferry services will soon start from Karachi to Port Qasim, Gwadar and Chah Bahar, Iran, he added.
The committee’s efforts were lauded and appreciated by the ministry and the commandant Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) for taking interest in its up-gradation. They unanimously said this up-gradation has been done in a short span of 14-months on the recommendations given by the standing committee. But more support will be needed to make it at par with academies of the developed world.
The committee was told that 50-trainees under the Prime Minister Youth Skill Development Program have joined PMA with effect from January, 2017.
The members of standing committee offered fateha and condolences on the sad demise of Mother-In-Law of the chairman, standing committee.
