29 April 2026
The Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA), organized a Seminar titled: “The Impact of the Current Geopolitical Situation on Maritime Trade in the Indian Ocean Region.” The speakers included: Rear Admiral Shahid Ahmed (Retd.) Chairman KPT; Rear Admiral Syed Faisal Shah (Retd.), Defence & Security Analyst; Prof. Dr. Adam Saud, former Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bahria University; Commodore Dr. Baber Bilal Haider (Retd.), Director IOSC, NIMA, and Rear Admiral Javaid Iqbal, President NIMA. Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, was the Chief Guest. The seminar was moderated by Malik Qasim Mustafa, Director ACDC-ISSI.
Chief Guest Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, in his address, highlighted that the current geopolitical situation serves as an important lesson for Pakistan. He emphasized that the impact of such crises must be analyzed across all sectors, not just maritime. Referring to the maritime sector, he stated that several long-pending reforms, projects, and legislative amendments were fast-tracked in response to the situation. He also highlighted the increased focus on foreign transshipment, noting that Karachi Port played a key role in ensuring operational success. A package of fiscal incentives offering up to 60 percent concessions in port-related charges was introduced to attract foreign-flagged transshipment vessels to Karachi Port and boost shipping activity. He concluded by stressing the need for Pakistan to strengthen its internal capacity so that it does not remain dependent on external actors.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman of the ISSI Board of Governors, in his welcome remarks, stated that the recent conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has severely disrupted global maritime trade. The Strait of Hormuz, through which flows 20 percent of the world’s oil and a quarter of its liquefied natural gas, has remained functionally closed to commercial traffic for over five weeks. War-risk insurance has been withdrawn, and the International Energy Agency has described the disruption as exceeding the impact of the 1970s oil crises. He noted that the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), already highly contested, has been transformed into a theatre of active geo-economic competition. The crisis has exposed the fragility of supply chains, energy dependencies, and maritime governance frameworks long considered stable. He highlighted that to emerge through the current challenges, Pakistan must move from reactive crisis management to proactive maritime strategy, leveraging Gwadar as the region’s alternative transshipment and energy transit hub. Pakistan must actively participate in the construction of an inclusive cooperative regional maritime governance architecture to meet the new challenges.
Earlier, in his introductory remarks, Malik Qasim Mustafa highlighted that Pakistan, owing to its unique geo-strategic location, has emerged as a key mediator in efforts to defuse tensions. He added that Pakistan continues to play an active diplomatic role in bridging the gap between Washington and Tehran to prevent further escalation.
Rear Admiral Shahid Ahmed (Retd.) emphasized that the Indian Ocean Region has been reshaped by three simultaneous pressures: the near-paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, disruptions in Red Sea traffic, and renewed great-power competition over energy flows. He further noted that Pakistan’s response to the crisis has been significant. It handled substantial transshipment volumes without congestion, created additional capacity of 50,000 TEUs, and reduced port transshipment and export bulk rates by up to 60 percent. Admiral Syed Faisal Shah stated that the Strait of Hormuz has become a permanent source of revenue and political leverage. He stated that in the post-war scenario, Pakistan could use its enhanced political stature to address perennial issues such as Kashmir and enhance sea-based defense and security capability.
Prof. Dr. Adam Saud stated that the Strait of Hormuz blockade is not a temporary disruption but a structural turning point in global trade. He noted that the ongoing crisis has increased the importance of alternative corridors, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and emphasized that control over sea lanes in the Indian Ocean will shape the future of global energy flows and trade.
Dr. Baber Bilal Haider described the crisis not as a conventional conflict but as a failure of maritime governance at both international and regional levels. He pointed out that existing mechanisms are largely non-binding, lack enforcement capacity, and do not provide structured de-escalation protocols at sea. He also highlighted the role of the Pakistan Navy in safeguarding Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) and protecting the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
During his vote of thanks, Rear Admiral Javaid Iqbal appreciated the ISSI and NIMA for jointly organizing the seminar. He commended the role of Pakistan’s maritime ministry during the conflict, noting that the maritime sector recorded a historic profit of Rs. 100 billion in 2025. He further highlighted that the long-standing vision of positioning Pakistani ports as a regional transshipment hub was realized through the timely approval of key reforms, formally notified as SRO 525 of 2026 on April 3, within days of the onset of the crisis.
