Before visiting the Naval War College, I knew that Pakistan was a maritime country. I knew we had a coastline, ports, ships, and a Navy. But I do not think I understood what that actually meant for Pakistan’s future.
During the visit, one thought kept coming back to me: how much of Pakistan’s potential is sitting in plain sight.
We discussed sea routes connecting Pakistan to international markets, the capacity of our ports, different kinds of vessels, shipbuilding and repair, fisheries, marine resources, and the wider idea of the blue economy. What surprised me most was not that Pakistan had these resources. It was how much more could be done with them.
This matters because the sea is not something distant from ordinary Pakistanis. Around 90 percent of Pakistan’s trade is conducted through sea routes, according to recent government statements. That means the efficiency and security of our maritime sector can affect energy supplies, imports, exports, employment, and economic growth (Ministry of Maritime Affairs, 2026).
Pakistan is not short of maritime potential. Our bigger challenge is turning that potential into results.
A Maritime Gateway with Untapped Potential
Pakistan’s location on the Arabian Sea gives it an important connection to international shipping routes and markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Gwadar are therefore much more than places where ships load and unload cargo.
Karachi Port has the capacity to handle more than 125 million tonnes of cargo and 4.65 million TEUs of containers. Yet its actual throughput in 2024–25 was around 53.95 million tonnes and 2.65 million TEUs (Karachi Port Trust, 2025). These figures made me think differently about what the word “capacity” really means.
Having infrastructure is one thing; making full use of it is another.
Gwadar particularly stands out to me. Located on the Arabian Sea near the approaches to the Persian Gulf, it has three multipurpose berths, a 602-metre main quay, and the ability to accommodate vessels of up to 50,000 deadweight tonnes under its current specifications (Gwadar Port Authority, 2026). Its location also gives it potential as a gateway for regional transit and trade.
But potential does not automatically become economic activity.
Ports need investment, efficient logistics, reliable infrastructure, skilled workers, and a regulatory system that allows businesses to operate without unnecessary delays. If Pakistan wants its ports to become stronger economic engines, we have to focus not only on building infrastructure but also on making that infrastructure work.
What I Learned at the Naval War College
One of the most interesting parts of the visit was learning about vessels.
Before the session, “ships” was a very broad word to me. During the presentation, I began to understand how different vessels have completely different purposes. We discussed vessels used for fuel and vessels used for carrying cargo, including containers, and I learned more about the role of a national shipping fleet in supporting trade.
During the visit, we were told about a fleet of 13 vessels, including vessels used for fuel and shipping-related purposes. Current Pakistan National Shipping Corporation information, however, lists 12 vessels, so I would not want to present the figure from the visit as a current fleet figure without qualification (Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, 2024). What stayed with me was the bigger point: Pakistan needs adequate shipping capacity of its own if it wants to capture more value from the trade passing through its waters.
We also learned about the routes taken by vessels around the world. Seeing those connections helped me understand that a ship arriving at a Pakistani port is part of a much larger system. A port is not successful simply because ships can enter it. It becomes valuable when it is efficiently connected to roads, railways, warehouses, industries, markets, and international shipping networks.
Another memorable part of the visit was learning about ship repair.
We discussed how vessels can be brought out of the water and transferred to facilities where they can be inspected, welded, repaired, and maintained. I found this surprisingly interesting because it showed me that maritime economic activity does not stop at transporting cargo. A ship itself creates an entire chain of economic activity around it.
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works, for example, reports that it has repaired more than 5,000 vessels, including 430 foreign-flag vessels. Its ship-lift and transfer system can accommodate multiple ships and has a lifting capacity of 7,321 tonnes (Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works, 2026).
That is an industry Pakistan can build upon: ship repair, maintenance, welding, engineering, maritime technology, and skilled employment.
Beyond Ports: The Blue Economy
The visit also changed the way I think about the term “blue economy.”
I had heard the phrase before, but the discussion made it much more practical. The blue economy is not simply about the sea. It is about using marine resources in ways that create economic value while protecting the ecosystems that make those resources possible.
One example that stayed with me was seaweed farming.
We discussed how seaweed could be cultivated in marine environments and then used for different purposes, including food and pharmaceutical applications. Seaweed-derived products such as agar, carrageenan, and algin are used across food and industrial sectors, and seaweed is also relevant to pharmaceutical and other higher-value applications (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2026).
For me, this was one of the biggest surprises of the visit. Something as simple as seaweed can become part of a value chain involving cultivation, processing, research, pharmaceuticals, food products, and exports.
It made me wonder: how many other opportunities are we overlooking because we have not invested enough in understanding them?
Fisheries are another example.
Pakistan has a fishing industry, but simply catching fish is not enough. We also need to preserve its quality, process it properly, and connect it to higher-value markets. During the visit, we discussed how poor hygiene, insufficient ice, and inadequate facilities can reduce the quality and value of fish caught by fishermen.
This is not a minor issue. The Food and Agriculture Organization has identified refrigeration, ice, processing, storage, and transportation as important factors in maintaining fish quality and extending shelf life (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2022).
If a fisherman spends hours at sea catching fish but cannot maintain its quality afterward, a large part of that economic opportunity can be lost before the product even reaches the market.
The same principle applies to mangroves. Our coastal ecosystems are not just scenery. They support marine life, coastal communities, and environmental resilience. Pakistan’s mangrove ecosystems have faced degradation pressures, even as conservation and restoration efforts have expanded (World Bank, 2021). Protecting them should therefore be seen not as an obstacle to economic development, but as part of sustainable economic development.
The Implementation Gap
Perhaps the most important lesson I took from the visit was not about ships or ports. It was about implementation.
Pakistan already has policies, institutions, and initiatives related to the maritime sector. Yet having a policy is not the same as successfully implementing it.
During our discussion, one problem became particularly clear to me: too many institutions can become involved in a single issue. When responsibility is divided among several bodies, approvals can take longer, coordination can become complicated, and accountability can become unclear.
This is not simply a bureaucratic inconvenience. In the maritime sector, delays can have economic consequences.
Pakistan’s government has also highlighted the need for stronger coordination and reforms in the maritime sector. A clearer lead institution for individual initiatives, supported by defined responsibilities and timelines, could make implementation more practical.
For me, the solution is not necessarily to create more institutions. It is to make existing institutions work together more effectively, with clear responsibility and clear deadlines.
We do not need another plan sitting on a shelf. We need plans that reach the water.
Challenges and Opportunities
Pakistan’s maritime sector faces several interconnected challenges: limited investment, infrastructure gaps, weak coordination, gaps in maritime technology and skills, inadequate public awareness, and environmental pressures.
But while thinking about these challenges, I also kept seeing opportunities.
Investing in ports can improve trade and generate employment. Expanding shipbuilding and ship repair can develop technical expertise and attract business. Better cold-chain systems can increase the value of fisheries. Seaweed farming can create new opportunities in coastal communities and potentially support export-oriented industries. Protecting mangroves can strengthen coastal resilience while supporting marine ecosystems.
Technology should be part of all of this.
Modern maritime economies increasingly depend on digital logistics, vessel tracking, efficient port management, environmental monitoring, and skilled technical workers. Pakistan cannot build a modern maritime economy while treating maritime technology as an afterthought.
Policy Recommendations
Invest in Ports and Maritime Infrastructure: Pakistan should continue investing in Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and especially the long-term development of Gwadar. Investment should not focus only on expanding physical capacity. It should also improve road and rail connectivity, cargo handling, storage, digital systems, and turnaround times.
Build Public Awareness and Responsible Participation: Maritime development cannot be left entirely to government institutions. Fishermen and coastal communities should have greater access to education on boat registration, safe fishing practices, hygiene, waste disposal, and marine conservation. The public also needs to understand that littering, pollution, and destruction of coastal ecosystems eventually have economic consequences.
Turn Marine Resources into Economic Opportunities: Pakistan should actively explore industries such as seaweed cultivation, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, ship repair, maritime engineering, and marine technology. The goal should not be to extract everything possible from the sea. It should be to create long-term value from the sea without destroying the resource that creates that value.
Make Implementation Simpler: Maritime initiatives should have clear lead institutions, measurable targets, and defined timelines. Where several institutions are involved, one body should have clear responsibility for coordinating the process.
Investment creates capacity. Education creates responsible participation. Economic opportunity gives that capacity a purpose.
Conclusion
I left the Naval War College thinking about the sea differently.
I went in expecting to learn about ships, ports, and maritime security. I did learn about those things. But I also learned something much bigger: Pakistan’s maritime future is connected to its economic future.
A port can be more than a port. It can create jobs, attract investment, and connect businesses to the world.
A ship can be more than a vessel. It can create demand for engineers, welders, technicians, shipbuilders, and repair facilities.
Seaweed can be more than something growing underwater. It can become a product, an industry, and an export opportunity.
And maritime security can be more than protecting a coastline. It can mean protecting the trade, energy supplies, jobs, and economic activity that depend on that coastline.
Pakistan already has the geography. It has ports. It has a coastline. It has maritime institutions, a Navy, shipping companies, fisheries, and enormous natural resources.
What we need now is the determination to connect these pieces.
The sea is already there.
The question is whether Pakistan is finally ready to use its potential.
References:
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2022). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2022: Towards blue transformation. FAO.
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2026). Codex moves to bring seaweed under global food standards as CCFFP37 closes. FAO.
Gwadar Port Authority. (2026). Port facilities. Government of Pakistan.
Karachi Port Trust. (2025). Port statistics. Government of Pakistan.
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works. (2026). Ship repair. Government of Pakistan.
Ministry of Maritime Affairs. (2026). Junaid Anwar Chaudhry highlights critical role of shipping industry in facilitating global trade, enhancing environmental sustainability. Government of Pakistan.
Pakistan National Shipping Corporation. (2024). Annual report 2024. Government of Pakistan.
World Bank. (2021). Pakistan blue carbon: Rapid assessment and policy recommendations for the revision of nationally determined contribution. World Bank.
Fatimah Ali - Member, Pakistan Youth Parliament, O Levels — Business Studies Student
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