DACCA: A fleet of 35 seagoing ships would be purchased within the current plan period, the Central Communication Minister, Mr Khan A. Sabur, said here today.

In an interview, the Minister said there would be 15 new ships and 20 modern second-hand fast ships. They would replace 16 ships in the private sector and nine would be placed under the disposal of the National Shipping Corporation.

The remaining 10 ships, to be imported from West Germany, would be allotted to the newcomers from East Pakistan, he added.

At present, he said, the country had a fleet of 43 ships, against only three old ships at the time of independence. He said 12 ships were now operating on foreign routes, besides two tankers for importing oil from Persian Gulf.

The domestic trade, he added, was reserved for national flag ships and it was the policy of the Government to reduce our reliance on foreign carriers, “who were prone to resort to monopolistic abuses like arbitrary increase on foreign rates, etc.”

The Minister said that as a result of the enhanced share secured by US on the UK continent route, “we are committed to increase our fleet of six on that route to 14 modern and fast ships.”

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014