Pakistan Merchant Navy

History

Pakistan Merchant Navy was formed right after independence in 1947. Pakistan inherited a fleet of four privately owned cargo ships. Ministry of Port and Shipping, Mercantile Marine Department and Shipping Office established by the government of Pakistan were authorized to flag the ship and also ensured that the vessel is sea worthy.

In 1963, the National Shipping Ordinance was promulgated and National Shipping Corporation (NSC) was established which procured its first used ship, M.V. Rupsa in 1965. The national fleet comprised some 53 vessels which were owned by 10 private shipping companies. The national fleet strength grew to a record 71 vessels just prior to the separation of East Pakistan and its emergence as Bangladesh in 1971. The fleet strength declined to 57 vessels after the separation.

On 1 January 1974 President of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto nationalized National Shipping Corporation (NSC) and Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) and other private shipping companies. Nine private shipping companies with a total of 26 ships were nationalized. The national fleet strength increased to 51 vessels including 26 ships under the management of nine nationalized companies and 25 ships with the state-owned NSC. In 1977, 14 ships were inducted in the Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) during the Fifth Five-Year Plan. Two years later, NSC and PSC were merged to form the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) which still remains the sole state-owned shipping corporation.

Later other nationalized companies were also merged into a single company as the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, incorporated under the provisions of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance of 1979 and the Companies Ordinance of 1984, respectively. The total fleet strength increased to 60 ships with the induction of 14 vessels in the late 1970s and early 1980s. PNSC enjoyed a complete monopoly till the early 1990s when the shipping sector was deregulated by the Nawaz Sharif government.

Currently, the PNSC manages a fleet of 09 vessels which includes One Multipurpose General Cargo ship, 4 Aframax Oil Tankers, and Five Bulk Carriers with 660,411 DWT. Pakistan Tanker Company, a subsidiary of PNSC also has a single tanker for crude oil imports.

Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited

The company was incorporated on 12 May 1947. In 1949, it became the first Pakistani shipping line to be publicly listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange.

Muhammadi House on McLeod Road (now I. I. Chundrigar Road) was the headquarters of the company.

The company was nationalized by the Government of Pakistan under then President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was later merged with other Pakistani nationalized shipping companies to create the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

East and West Steamship Company

East & West Steamship Company was one of the oldest locally owned shipping line in Pakistan until it was nationalised in 1974. Its ship, SS Fatima was the first ship ever registered at the newly established Port of Registry at Karachi in August 1948. It was owned by the Cowasjee family. The company was restructured as the 'East and West Steamship Co. Ltd.' in 1961

National Shipping Corporation

The National Shipping Corporation (NSC) was established under the National Shipping Corporation Ordinance, 1963, with a view to provide efficient shipping services. The Corporation was managed by a Board of nine directors, out of which five including the Chairman, the Managing Director and the Financial Director were appointed by the Central Government and remaining four were elected by the share holders from each Province. The authorized capital of the Corporation was Rs. 250 million and the subscribed capital was to be Rs. 50 million. The share of Central Government in the capital was 25% and the balance of 75% was raised from the public in East and West Pakistan on the basis of parity.

Pakistan Shipping Corporation

In 1974 the Federal Government decided to take over the management and control of entire shipping in Pakistan, including NSC through promulgation of the Pakistan Maritime Shipping (Regulation and control) Ordinance, 1974 which later on became an Act. In September, 1976 the Federal Government established the Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) under the Pakistan Shipping Corporation Act, 1976, to take charge of ten shipping companies and operate as a parallel corporation with the National Shipping Corporation (NSC).

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation is the national flag carrier managing a fleet of 09 vessels. The Corporation's head office is located in Karachi. A regional office based in Lahore caters for upcountry shipping requirements. The Corporation also has an extensive overseas network of agents looking after its worldwide shipping business.

The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is a state-owned megacorporation and run under the management control of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping of Government of Pakistan.

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation has the following nine subsidiary companies:

Pakistan Marine Academy

Pakistan Marine Academy was established in 1962 in Chittagong, East Pakistan (now in Bangladesh) under Colombo Plan to produce qualified seafarers who can meet the standards set down by STCW Convention. It began functioning from 3 September 1962. After Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 the institution was shifted in Karachi and was housed temporarily in two blocks of Haji Camp. Later in 1973 Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto inaugurated a new campus at Mauripur, Karachi. Pakistan Marine Academy is the branch of World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden and it is producing 170 Deck and Engine Cadets each year.