The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has commenced work on the Rs12 billion modernisation of the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard to transform Pakistan’s shipbreaking industry into a safer and more environmentally responsible ship-recycling sector.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Mohammad Junaid Chaudhry, chairing a steering committee meeting to review progress, said construction was underway on key facilities including a 30-bed hospital, labour colony, school and solar power infrastructure.
The minister said the infrastructure development was being carried out to bring the facility in line with international safety and environmental standards. The project received approval for $43.3 million in June 2025.
“Our objective is to transform Gadani’s traditional shipbreaking practices into a modern, safe, and environmentally responsible ship-recycling industry that meets global standards,” Junaid Chaudhry said, highlighting the yard’s importance to Pakistan’s steel-scrap market and supply chains.
The overhaul seeks to align Gadani with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, an International Maritime Organization framework governing safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.
The project includes 32 kilometres of internal roads, a public park, hazardous and industrial waste-treatment systems, fire and rescue stations and dedicated water-treatment facilities.
Project Director Saeed Ahmed Umrani said implementation had entered the procurement and construction phase, supported by a Rs780 million federal PSDP allocation for 2026-27.
