Pakistan National Shipping Corporation

The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is a Pakistani national flag carrier headquartered in Karachi.[3] The corporation is principally engaged in the business of shipping, including charter of vessels, transportation of cargo and providing commercial, technical, administrative, financial and other services to its subsidiaries and third parties.[4][5]

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation
Company typePublic
PSXPNSC
IndustryShipping and Vessel industry
GenreMegacorporation
PredecessorChittagong Steamship Corporation
Crescent Shipping
East & West Steamship Company
Gulf Shipping Corp Ltd
Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited
National Shipping Corporation
Pakistan Shipping
Pan Islamic Shipping
Trans-Oceanic Steamship Company
United Oriental Steamship Company
Founded1971; 53 years ago (1971)
Headquarters
Karachi-74000
,
Key people
[1]
(Chairman, CEO)
ProductsCargo Ships, Tankers, Container ships, and Bulk carriers
Rs. 30 Billion[2]
(Profit after tax as of June 2022)
Websitewww.pnsc.com.pk Edit this on Wikidata
Ensign of Pakistan Merchant Navy
Flag of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation

The Chairman of PNSC is appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and is usually a high-ranking civil servant or naval admiral. Officers who have served as Chairman PNSC include Pakistan Administrative Service bureaucrats Rizwan Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmed Mangnejo, Admiral Tauqir Hussain Naqvi, Admiral Yastur-ul-Haq Malik, Admiral Saeed Mohammad Khan and Admiral Mansurul Haq.[6][7]

PNSC, headquartered in Karachi, is under the administrative control of the Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs. A regional office based in Lahore caters to upcountry shipping requirements. The corporation also has an extensive overseas network of agents looking after its worldwide shipping business. The Pakistan Merchant Navy is the fleet of state-owned merchant vessels flying the flag of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.[8][9]

History edit

PNSC Building at night

The Pakistan Merchant Navy was formed after independence in 1947 when Pakistan inherited a fleet of four privately owned cargo ships. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Mercantile Marine Department and Government Shipping Office established by the Government of Pakistan were authorised to flag the ships and also ensured that the vessels were seaworthy.

In 1963, the National Shipping Ordinance was promulgated and National Shipping Corporation (NSC) was established which procured its first used ship, M.V. Rupsa in 1965. The national fleet comprised some 53 vessels which were owned by 10 private shipping companies. The national fleet grew to 71 vessels before the separation of East Pakistan and its emergence as Bangladesh in 1971 when the number declined to 57 vessels after the separation.

On 1 January 1974, President of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto nationalised Chittagong Steamship Corporation and Trans-Oceanic Steamship Company, owned by Dinshaw family; East & West Steamship Company, owned by Cowasjee family; Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited and Gulf Shipping Corp Ltd, owned by Valika family; United Oriental Steamship Company, owned by Chinioti Buksh family; Pan Islamic Shipping, owned by Saudis; Crescent Shipping, owned by Crescent Group; and National Shipping Corporation (NSC). Nine private shipping companies with a total of 26 ships were nationalised.[10][11] The national fleet strength increased to 51 vessels including 26 ships under the management of nine nationalised companies and 25 ships with the state-owned NSC.

In 1977, 14 ships were inducted in the Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) during the Fifth Five-Year Plan. Two years later, NSC and PSC were merged to form the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) which still remains the sole state-owned shipping corporation.

Later other nationalised companies were also merged into a single company as the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, incorporated under the provisions of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance of 1979 and the Companies Ordinance of 1984, respectively. The total fleet strength increased to 60 ships with the induction of 14 vessels in the late 1970s and early 1980s. PNSC enjoyed a complete monopoly till the early 1990s when the shipping sector was deregulated by the Nawaz Sharif government.

Subsidiaries edit

  • Bolan Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Chitral Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Hyderabad Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Khairpur Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Malakand Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Multan Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Sibi Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Karachi Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Lahore Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Quetta Shipping (Private) Limited
  • Shalamar Shipping (Private) Limited

Former company titles edit

PNSC Building seen from the Chinna Creek

Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited was incorporated on 12 May 1947.[12] In 1949, it became the first Pakistani shipping line to be publicly listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange.[13]

Muhammadi House on McLeod Road (now I. I. Chundrigar Road) was the headquarters of the company.[14]

The company was nationalised by the Government of Pakistan under then President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was later merged with other Pakistani nationalised shipping companies to create the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

East & West Steamship Company was one of the oldest locally owned shipping line in Pakistan until it was nationalised in 1974. Its ship, SS Fatima was the first ship ever registered at the newly established Port of Registry at Karachi in August 1948.[15] It was owned by the Cowasjee family. The company was restructured as the 'East and West Steamship Co. Ltd.' in 1961

The National Shipping Corporation (NSC) was established under the National Shipping Corporation Ordinance, 1963, with a view to provide efficient shipping services. The corporation was managed by a Board of nine directors, out of which five including the chairman, the managing director and the Financial Director were appointed by the Central Government and remaining four were elected by the shareholders from each Province. The authorized capital of the corporation was Rs. 250 million and the subscribed capital was to be Rs. 50 million. The share of Central Government in the capital was 25% and the balance of 75% was raised from the public in East and West Pakistan on the basis of parity.

In 1974 the Federal Government decided to take over the management and control of entire shipping in Pakistan, including NSC through promulgation of the Pakistan Maritime Shipping (Regulation and control) Ordinance, 1974 which later on became an Act. In September, 1976 the Federal Government established the Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC) under the Pakistan Shipping Corporation Act, 1976, to take charge of ten shipping companies and operate as a parallel corporation with the National Shipping Corporation (NSC).

Fleet edit

ShipBuiltIn service for the companyTypeTonnageReferenceFateNotes
MT Shalamar20062015–PresentAframax Oil Tanker55894 GT[16]Currently in useBuilt by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Japan
MV Islamabad19831983–2013Multi-Purpose General Cargo12395 GT[17]Scrapped in 2013Built at Karachi Shipyard, Pakistan.
MT Quetta20032008–PresentAframax Oil Tanker58118 GT[18][19]Currently in useBuilt by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Japan.
MT Lahore20032010–PresentAframax Oil Tanker58157 GT[20][21]Currently in useBuilt by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Japan
MT Karachi20032010–PresentAframax Oil Tanker58127 GT[22]Currently in useBuilt by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Japan
MV Kaghan19862006–PresentBulk Carrier36098 GT[23][24]Currently in useBuilt by Namura Ship Building Co., Japan
MV Chitral20032010–PresentHandymax Bulk Carrier26395 GT[25][26]Currently in useBuilt by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Japan
MV Malakand20042010–PresentPanamax Bulk Carrier40040 GT[27][28]Currently in useBuilt by Sasebo Heavy Industry Co. Ltd, Sasebo, Japan
MV Hyderabad20042011–PresentSupramax Bulk Carrier29364 GT[29][30]Currently in useBuilt in Oshima Shipyard, Nagasaki, Japan
MV Sibi20092011–PresentHandysize Bulk Carrier17018 GT[31][32]Currently in useBuilt by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Marugame, Japan
MV Multan20022012–PresentSupramax Bulk Carrier27986 GT[33][34]Currently in useBuilt by Mitsui Engineering & Ship Building Co. Ltd. TAMANO Works, Japan
MV Bolan19801980-2010Multipurpose General Cargo12395 GT[35]Scrapped in 2010Built by Kawasaki Kobe Japan
MV Khairpur19811981-2011Multipurpose General Cargo13402 GT[35][36]Scrapped in 2011Built by Gdańsk Shipyard

Gdańsk, Poland

MV Nawabshah19811981-1985Multipurpose General Cargo13402 GT[35][36]Sank in Malaka straight after hitting rock PU Rondo at 11:02 (LT) on 23-08-1985Built by Gdańsk Shipyard

Gdańsk, Poland

MV Sargodha19801980-2012Multipurpose General Cargo12395 GT[35]Scrapped in 2012Built by Oshima Shipbuilding Saikai, Japan
MV Makran19791979-2009Multipurpose General Cargo16199 GT[35][37]Scrapped in 2009Built by Nakskov Skibsvaerft Nakskov, Denmark
MV Chitral19801980-2009Multipurpose General Cargo12395 GT[35][38]Scrapped in 2009Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kobe, Japan. Not to be confused with MV Chitral Bulk Carrier
MV Hyderabad19801980-2009Multipurpose General Cargo12395 GT[35][39][40]Sold to M/S Blue Seas MarineMitsui Tamano Engineering & Shipbuilding Tamano, Japan. Not to be confused with MV Hyderabad Bulk Carrier
MV Malakand19801980-2009Multipurpose General Cargo18224 GT[35][41]Sold to M/S Blue Seas MarineIhi Marine United Tokyo, Japan. Not to be confused with MV Malakand Bulk Carrier
MV Sibi19811986-2009Multipurpose General Cargo13402 GT[35][42]Sold to M/S Blue Seas MarineBuilt in Gdańsk Shipyard Poland
MV Kaghan19811981-2004Multipurpose General Cargo10246 GT[35]Sold to Cheer Glory Traders ChinaBuilt in Bremen. Not to be confused with MV Kaghan Bulk Carrier.
MV Multan19801980-2012Multipurpose General Cargo12395 GT[35]Scrapped in 2012Built in Japan.
MV Murree19811981-1989Multipurpose General Cargo,11940 GT[43]Sank at 49°57′30″N 3°14′5″W / 49.95833°N 3.23472°W / 49.95833; -3.23472, near by cities Plymouth, Bournemouth, Cardiff in strong typhoon, 1989. All crew rescued by Royal Air forceBuilt by A&P Group, Sunderland, United Kingdom.
MT Johar19852003-2009Oil Tanker49688 GT[35]Sold to Cheer Glory Traders, ChinaBuilt by Navantia Carenas Ferrol, Spain
MT Lalazar19842005-2009Oil Tanker49688 GT[35]Scrapped in 2009Built by Fincanteri Monfalcone Trieste, Italy.
MT Sawat19852003-2010Oil Tanker49601 GT[35]Scrapped in 2010Built by Fincanteri Monfalcone Trieste, Italy.
MT Shalamar19812003-2007Oil Tanker54474 GT[35]Scrapped in 2007Built in Sanoyas Mizushima Works & Shipyard Kurashiki, Japan

Merchant Navy Rank Insignia of Deck Officers and Engineer Officers edit

See also edit

References edit

External links edit