Tankers and gas ships will not be allowed to be broken up at Pakistan’s prime ship recycling area, Gadani, until new safety rules and regulations are put in place. Sanaullah Zehri, the chief minister of the province of Balochistan, made the ruling yesterday in the wake of a spate of accidents in Gadani in recent months.
Zehri said the accidents were “intolerable” and deplored the dire safety conditions at Gadani.
A regulatory authority for the shipbreaking industry will be established next month.
“If an accident occurs in future, the department which issued a no-objection certificate for the vessel in question and the ship’s owner will be held responsible,” Zehri warned.
