On Tuesday, Senator Faisal Vawda led the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs in reviewing the sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, which had raised significant concerns regarding corruption and mismanagement. The committee ordered the immediate cancellation of the sale, which had reportedly been executed with just a 2% advance payment—equating to approximately Rs1 billion out of its estimated Rs60 billion value.
Vawda expressed relief over the committee’s swift intervention, asserting that their actions prevented a substantial financial loss to the country. He criticized the legitimacy of the transaction, questioning how such a valuable asset could be sold for only 10% of its worth and why it took merely 72 hours for the transaction to be reversed. This land, allotted for industrial development in 2006, was surrounded by questions about an out-of-court settlement process. Vawda challenged the Port Qasim Board’s authority, querying who permitted the bargain sale and emphasizing the need for accountability.
The senator outlined three avenues to tackle corruption: surrender, admit to the wrongdoing, or actively oppose it, stressing the crucial requirement of holding accountable those who contribute to financial losses for the nation. Senator Danesh Kumar raised the issue of instability within leadership at Karachi and Gwadar ports due to the absence of permanent chairman positions, underscoring the necessity of effective governance in the maritime sector.
During the meeting, Port Qasim officials maintained that there was no illegality in the sale. Vawda refuted this claim, stating that not only was the land maliciously sold at a low price, but that the location of the Balkhnum Razi project had also been altered. He expressed concerns about a foreign company’s dubious history that was involved in the deal.
The committee received updates about the current holdings at Port Qasim, which totals approximately 14,000 acres, with nearly 9,574 acres leased. They emphasized the essential need for prioritizing exports to bolster Pakistan’s maritime sector, advocating for the inclusion of technocrats and private sector business leaders on the port management board for enhanced efficiency.
In light of the findings, Vawda proposed immediate recommendations, including halting pending payments on land acquisition deals across various ports and recommending a thorough examination of the Shawn Refining project for potential criminal negligence. The committee urged the freezing of all lease agreements issued from 2018 to 2024 and requested detailed information regarding out-of-court settlements from past governments.
The next meeting will address further appointments within maritime departments and review unresolved issues regarding the controversial Port Qasim land sale. The session was attended by several senators and senior officials, reflecting a comprehensive effort to restore integrity in the management of Pakistan’s maritime assets.
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