National Assembly's Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs on Wednesday deferred two bills including "the Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019" and "the Gwadar Port Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019," and sought clarification from the Ministry of Law and Justice on the use of words "federal government" in the bills.

The 8th meeting of the committee was held here at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs under the chairmanship of Mir Amer Ali Khan Magsi. The committee was briefed on the tendering process undertaken by the ministry and its organizations and it was told that PPRA rules have been followed in letter and spirit.

Minister for Maritime Affairs, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi told the committee that land is given in the limits of Port Qasim for setting up of new LNG terminals for an estimated amount of US $10 million as concession fee and this will also help the companies provide cheaper gas to the people.

The seafarers are facilitated by stopping the 'sign in' and 'sign out' requirement. The committee appointed a sub-committee to probe into the issues and wrongdoings in Karachi Port Trust. The committee also sought help of the minister for resolving traffic issues on Kemari Road, Karachi. The committee further discussed implementation status of the monetization policy of transport facility for all civil servants from grade-20 to grade-22 of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and its attached departments.