ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Friday called for a swift launch of the country’s first service, immediate reforms in licensing procedures and financial facilitation for operators to ensure affordable sea travel and boost maritime connectivity.

Pakistan has been mulling routes for a ferry service it plans to launch to connect its southwestern Gwadar port with the Gulf region, according to the country’s maritime affairs ministry.

Five privately-owned firms submitted their proposals, showing growing interest of the private sector, as officials reviewed technical and financial aspects of ferry operations last month.

Highlighting broader benefits of sea travel, Chaudhry pointed out that ferry services could provide an affordable and reliable travel solution for pilgrims aspiring to visit Iran and Iraq.

“Beyond tourism and business, this service can greatly facilitate religious travel. We can offer pilgrims a new, secure, and cost-efficient option for their journeys,” he was quoted as saying by his ministry.

“Every year, 700,000 to 1,000,000 Pakistani zaireen (pilgrims) travel to Iran and Iraq. If even 20 percent opt for ferries in the first three years, that’s 140,000 to 200,000 passengers annually, representing significant economic potential.”

The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost transit trade as it slowly recovers from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

The country also plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70 percent to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion, while it last month reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the second largest Port Qasim.

During a briefing by Ports and Shipping Director-General Alia Shahid on Friday, Chaudhry directed digitization of the ferry licensing process and its integration into the Pakistan Single Window platform, similar to existing ship registrations, to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks.

He specifically ordered the reduction of the current six-month license issuance period to just one month.

“There’s no justification for a half-year delay. We must eliminate red tape and act decisively,” the minister said.

He called for exploring flexible financial models for ferry operators to attract private sector participation.

“We must assess whether a bank guarantee, insurance guarantee, or a hybrid model is most viable,” Chaudhry said. “Our aim is to support not hinder entrepreneurs who wish to invest in this sector.”

Pakistan is currently holding consultations with stakeholders, including private operators and regional maritime authorities, regarding the ferry service, according to the maritime affairs ministry.

A pilot launch is expected in the coming weeks after the finalization of feasibility studies and regulatory frameworks.

“If implemented effectively, this service could become a vital new transport link across the region,” Chaudhry added.

LAHORE: Three cars of a passenger train derailed near Lahore in eastern Pakistan on Friday, injuring at least 27 people, including women and children, officials said.

The Islamabad Express was en route to Lahore when three of its cars went off the tracks in the town of Kala Shah Kaku, railways spokesperson Babar Raza told reporters.

He said emergency responders and paramedics were quickly dispatched to the site, and all the injured were listed in stable condition.

Raza did not provide further details but said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.

Train accidents are relatively common in Pakistan, where the railway system has suffered from decades of underinvestment, outdated tracks, and aging signal infrastructure.

In 2023, at least 30 people were killed when a passenger train derailed in the southern city of Nawabshah in Sindh province.