Pakistan signed two contracts worth $33.46 million with Turkish shipbuilders on Monday to purchase four ASD tugboats (LNG compatible) and two pilot boats.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs confirmed that the contracts were signed between Pakistan’s Port Qasim Authority and Sanmar Shipyards.
The tugboats will be delivered within a year by Sanmar, Turkey’s leading tugboat maker.
Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, and Mustafa Yurdakul, Turkey’s Ambassador to Pakistan, were taking part in the signing ceremony at the Maritime Ministry’s office in Islamabad.
As per the statement, this would be a big move forward in both countries’ brotherly ties.
Sanmar was also invited by Zaidi to establish a shipyard in Pakistan, where they could share their expertise, move technology, and benefit from Pakistan’s skilled workforce and low wages.