Gadani Ship-breaking industry moving toward global standards: Commissioner Saira Atta
Commissioner Lasbela Division Saira Atta visited the Gadani Ship-Breaking Yard, where officials from the Balochistan Development Authority (BDA), including GM Ship Breaking Tariq Buzdar and Engineer Mohabbat Khan Babar, briefed her on the industry’s operations and regulatory framework.
The briefing highlighted that the BDA was established under the BDA Act of 1974, and in 1978, the ship recycling industry at Gadani was formally declared an industry by General Zia-ul-Haq. Since then, BDA has acted as the regulatory authority overseeing operational activities and compliance. Officials noted that Pakistan Ship Breakers Association has signed an MoU with Bureau Veritas under the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for environmentally safe and internationally compliant ship recycling. Five major ship recyclers have already entered into individual HKC compliance agreements.
Commissioner Saira Atta praised Gadani as a national industrial asset, supplying raw material to Pakistan’s steel industry and providing employment to thousands. She emphasized that Pakistan’s ship recycling sector is now moving toward sustainable, safe, and globally competitive practices, supported by the government, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, and regulatory bodies. She noted that Ship Recycling Facility Plans (SRFPs) have been signed to ensure safe disposal of hazardous waste, while international trainers are engaged to provide workers with safety training.
BDA GM Tariq Buzdar stressed that these efforts are not just for “paper compliance” but to bring real transformation under the Hong Kong Convention. Commissioner Atta commended the industry’s commitment and expressed confidence that Pakistan’s ship recyclers will soon make their mark in the global ship-breaking industry.