Devolved under 18th Amend: Provinces ‘lack capacity’ to handle maritime functions

Instead of organising port operations under a unified command, the maritime sector was being dealt with by different ministries. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: “Post-devolution complications and reservations by provinces, especially Sindh and Balochistan, about maritime policy are costing the nation billions annually,” Director General, National Centre for Maritime Policy, Vice Admiral (Retd) Asaf Humayun said at a seminar on “Blue Economy – Potential and Prospects” held at the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad.

Noting that the policy had been drafted with the aim of bringing comprehensive reforms in Pakistan’s maritime strategy and to address the country’s dynamics of commerce and security, he said that delays in approval of policy have been affecting trade, economic activity and strategic interest of the country and are increasing economic, environmental and security issues for the nation.

Instead of organising port operations under a unified command or at least through a coordinated effort, the maritime sector of the country was being dealt separately by different ministries and provincial governments. There should be an integrated approach to get rapid and long-term advantages of national sea territories, he urged.

He said that 18th constitutional amendment had devolved maritime functions to the provinces, which lack the capacity to deal with them and have not been able to take up the delegated functions even after passage of more than three years. He said that the maritime sector should be restored as a federal subject.

The government should also form an executive body at the federal level to deal with maritime issues instead of the inefficient maritime coordination committee in which currently 18 secretaries represent different departments, he suggested.

Urging an integrated approach for ports and shipping, he said that export processing zones, industrial areas, fisheries, warehousing facilities, rail and road transportation infrastructure, etc., alongside ports are essential to thrive upon the maritime potential in this country. He said that Gwadar port constructed with heavy investment from China, which is operational since 2008, has been unable to progress due to the lack of this integrated approach and each ton of cargo handled at Gwadar costs $30 extra due to lack of rail or road links. The total cargo handled at Gwadar so far is only 5 million tons and just 145 ships have called at the port since 2008.