Pakistan’s decision to establish a Maritime Task Force was shaped by pressing realities that demanded urgent reform. With ground trade routes to India and Afghanistan severed due to strained relations, the country’s reliance on maritime trade became absolute.

The closure of these routes also severely impacted the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), which had long played a pivotal role in sustaining Pakistan’s trade flows through land corridors. NLC’s impeccable record of accomplishment in logistics and its contribution to the national economy made its inclusion in the Maritime Task Force both logical and strategic, as its expertise is expected to significantly enhance the force’s performance in maritime operations.

At the same time, inefficiencies in Pakistan’s ports had become a major bottleneck. Cargo consignments often took weeks to clear rather than hours; containers piled up due to manual inspections, and outdated scanners offered little relief. The absence of digitization, vessel traffic management systems, and modern customs procedures compounded delays, while limited infrastructure and congestion restricted larger vessels from entering harbors, inflating freight charges.

These challenges were not the result of negligence but rather the accumulation of outdated practices and fragmented planning over decades. Each port pursued its own development agenda without a national framework, leading to competition rather than complementarity. Industries once thriving, such as ship recycling and fisheries, had declined........

© Pakistan Observer