Newsprint-Larger Capacity, Lower Production

January 15, 1972 in 1963, following India's lead in starting a State-owned shipping company. A notable feature of Pakistan's shipping industry is that it is about the only major industry in the country in which non-Muslims have a substantial say. At the time of Partition, there were some Parsi business houses in Pakistan who were associated with shipping, as prospective shipowners or as ship-chandlers or stevedores. There were the Dinshaws who had planned to launch a shipping company In undivided India but had to give up their association with the company following Partition. They went ahead with their plans of becoming shipowners by launching a shipping company of their own in Pakistan. Similarly, the Cowasjces were leading stevedores in Karachi and they too soon entered the shipping industry. In due course, leading industrial houses and banking firms also entered the field and by 1963 Pakistan could boast of a sizeable tonnage. In that year the government- owned National Shipping Corporation of Pakistan was formed. According to the latest available information, Pakistan's mercantile fleet had a tonnage of about 6.7 lakh dwt of which the National Shipping Corporation's share was 2.77 lakh tonnes.