For decades, Pakistan’s maritime conversation has centered on a familiar set of questions: How can port activity be increased? How can shipping expand? How can fisheries exports grow? How can Gwadar be used efficiently? These questions remain important, but the global maritime economy has moved beyond them. Maritime development is no longer measured only by ship arrivals and cargo volumes; it is increasingly shaped by automation, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure. Pakistan’s next important question, therefore, is whether it can transition from a resource-based maritime economy to an innovation-driven one. The world has already begun this shift. In March 2026,…
