ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday highlighted the need for a secure shipping environment in a message marking World Maritime Day, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting the country’s maritime ecosystem.
Earlier this month, Pakistan hosted UN maritime chief Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, who attended an international conference and emphasized the country’s expanding role in the global maritime sector and commitment to sustainable shipping.
Pakistan is also actively enhancing its trade through sea routes and upgrading port infrastructure in Karachi and Gwadar, aiming to position itself as a key transit hub for landlocked Central Asian countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
World Maritime Day, instituted by the International Maritime Organization in 1978, highlights the importance of international shipping and maritime safety each year.
“The maritime sector serves as the backbone of global trade, playing a key role in economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and facilitating international cooperation,” the Pakistani president said in a statement circulated by his office.
“The day highlights the need for a more efficient and secure shipping environment to ensure the uninterrupted flow of international maritime trade,” he continued.
Zardari expressed Pakistan’s resolve to protect its maritime ecosystem and coastal areas by addressing key challenges such as marine pollution and climate change.
“Pakistan is actively working to strengthen its regulatory framework to tackle marine pollution, improve maritime waste management, and expand community-driven projects,” he added.
Pakistan is an active member of the International Maritime Organization and has signed various conventions related to safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.
It has also collaborated in this area with international organizations to mitigate the environmental damage faced by the maritime ecosystem.
Pakistan president stresses secure shipping environment on World Maritime Day
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Pakistan president stresses secure shipping environment on World Maritime Day
- Asif Ali Zardari calls maritime sector backbone of global economy, seeks uninterrupted flow of trade
- He says Pakistan is actively working to tackle marine pollution and issues related to climate change
Pakistan lauds Qatar for Gaza peace efforts, facilitating talks with Afghanistan
- PM Shehbaz Sharif greets Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Qatar’s National Day occasion
- Qatar hosted peace talks between Pakistan, Afghanistan after fierce border clashes in October
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Qatar on Thursday for its role in bringing about a fragile ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating talks between neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Qatar led negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at easing the Gaza conflict, working with nations like the US to reach a ceasefire and secure humanitarian pauses and prisoner exchanges. Doha also facilitated de-escalation talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in October after the neighbors engaged in fierce border clashes. This elevated the Gulf nation to the status of a crisis mediator of the region on the international stage.
Sharif was speaking to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the occasion of the Gulf country’s National Day. The Pakistani premier congratulated the Qatari ruler and wished the country continued peace, progress and prosperity.
“During the call, the Prime Minister also lauded Qatar’s valuable role in efforts to bring peace in Gaza,” the PMO said.
“He expressed his deep appreciation for Qatar’s facilitation of talks aimed at easing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Pakistan has sought closer ties with Qatar in recent months. Sharif visited Doha in a show of solidarity after Israel’s airstrikes on the country in September, while Qatar publicly supported Pakistan during a brief military conflict with India in May, which Islamabad has highlighted as evidence of a deepening two-way partnership.
“He reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding commitment to further strengthening of the longstanding and multifaceted bilateral partnership between the two brotherly countries,” the PMO said.
Sharif invited the Qatari emir to visit Pakistan “at a mutually convenient date,” the PMO said.
Al Thani thanked Sharif for the National Day greetings and expressed his “strong commitment” to further strengthen ties between the two nations, Sharif’s office said.
