Pakistan to add new tanker ships to PNSC fleet by December

The government has approved the purchase of three new oil tankers for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), marking a significant expansion of the country’s maritime fleet, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Friday.

According to details, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has directed the acquisition of the new vessels, which will be named MT Karachi, MT Lahore, and MT Quetta.

The minister confirmed that the three oil tankers will be inducted into the national fleet by December 2025, adding that the approval has already been granted for the purchase.

He further revealed that PNSC aims to expand its fleet to fifteen ships by the end of this year and has set a target of reaching thirty vessels by 2026.

To achieve this target of fifteen ships, tenders for the procurement of twelve additional ships have already been issued, the minister said.

Founded in 1963 under the National Shipping Ordinance, the National Shipping Corporation (NSC) began operations with its first vessel, MV Rupsa, in 1965.

The organisation was later transformed into the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) in 1979, following the merger of NSC and the Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC).

PNSC’s fleet strength has fluctuated over the decades, reaching a peak of 60 ships in the late 1970s, before the deregulation of the shipping sector in the early 1990s ended its monopoly.

Reporter: Hashir Warraich