ISLAMABAD: Starting Saturday, anybody over 30 years old in Pakistan can walk into a vaccination center and get their jab, planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command Operation Center (NCOC) said in a tweet on Friday.
Pakistan, a country of 220 million people, has so far secured over 18 million doses of various vaccines with the help of China and the WHO, with millions more in the pipeline according to officials. The country has also successfully started local production of the Chinese single-shot vaccine, CanSino.
“In the NCOC meeting today it was decided to open up walk in vaccination for 30 plus from tomorrow. So if you are 30 or older and registered please go to any vaccination center and get vaccinated,” Umar tweeted.
On Thursday, the NCOC opened vaccination registrations for all people over 18 years of age, which brings almost 100 percent of the country’s eligible population into the fold of the inoculation drive.
Pakistan has been battling a third wave of the virus, with the national positivity rate dropping under 5 percent for the first time in nearly three months. The country reported 67 deaths from COVID-19 over the last 24 hours.
Starting tomorrow, vaccine walk-ins welcome if you’re over 30 in Pakistan
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Starting tomorrow, vaccine walk-ins welcome if you’re over 30 in Pakistan
- Pakistan’s planning minister tweeted that people over 30 could walk into any vaccination center and get their jab
- Over 18 million doses of vaccines have been secured so far by the country
Pakistan launches first ferry terminal as it opens passenger maritime transport
- Ferry services expected to begin later this month from Karachi Port
- Move signals policy push to develop tourism, Pakistan’s blue economy
KARACHI: Pakistan has issued its first-ever ferry service license and inaugurated a passenger ferry terminal at Karachi Port, the maritime affairs ministry said on Thursday, formally opening the country’s coastal passenger transport sector as part of a broader effort to expand maritime tourism and attract private investment.
The terminal was inaugurated by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, who said ferry services are expected to commence later this month. Officials described the move as a milestone for a country that, despite a coastline of more than 1,000 kilometers along key regional shipping routes, has never operated a licensed passenger ferry system.
Pakistan has traditionally focused its maritime activity on cargo handling and port operations, while coastal passenger transport remained absent due to regulatory gaps and limited private-sector participation. The new license framework is intended to change that by allowing private operators to enter the sector under government oversight.
“This ferry service is not just a transport initiative but a gateway to economic opportunities, tourism promotion and regional connectivity,” Chaudhry said at the inauguration ceremony.
Pakistan issued its first ferry service license in August 2025, opening the regulatory door for passenger ferry routes to Iran and Gulf nations, and is now moving to operationalize services with the newly inaugurated Karachi terminal.
The government has increasingly promoted the concept of the “blue economy,” a term used internationally to describe sustainable economic activity linked to oceans, ports and coastal resources. Officials say ferry services could stimulate coastal tourism, improve regional connectivity and generate employment across transport, hospitality and related industries.
Chaudhry said the issuance of the first ferry license had already drawn interest from additional investors seeking to operate passenger services, signaling growing private-sector confidence in Pakistan’s maritime reforms. He added that the maritime affairs ministry was working with port authorities to expand infrastructure and encourage public-private partnerships.
The minister also said Port Qasim Authority would soon unveil plans for a new industrial zone, part of a wider strategy to link ports with industrial growth and exports.
