ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed his government’s resolve to develop the shipbuilding industry and said that two shipyards to be set up at Port Qasim and Gwadar would cater to domestic needs and also take orders from abroad.

The prime minister who was presiding over a meeting held on Tuesday to review progress on development of shipbuilding industry constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Ports and Shipping Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira to finalise sites for shipyards in Karachi and Gwadar.

The committee will submit its report before a policy board in two weeks. Other members of the committee are ports and shipping secretary, defence production secretary, Karachi Shipyards managing director, Port Qasim Authority chairman and Gwadar Port Authority chairman.

The prime minister stressed the need for making the country a leading shipbuilding country in the region to contribute to economic development and poverty alleviation.

Highlighting Pakistan’s unique geo-strategic location and trained manpower, the prime minister said that the advantage needed to be fully exploited and the industry should be developed in a big way through joint ventures with reputable international shipyards.

He said shipyards not only generated employment but also developed a wide range of ancillary industries.

Earlier, Karachi Shipyards MD briefed the prime minister on progress made in the development of shipbuilding. He also informed the prime minister about a proposal to build two world class shipyards as joint venture, one in Gwadar and the other in Port Qasim.