Pakistan Maritime Security Agency

The establishment of Pakistan Maritime Security Agency has its genesis in the United Nations Convention on Law Of the Sea -1982 (UNCLOS-82). This was a landmark convention that streamlined most of the gray areas in the law of the sea. In order to consolidate the advantages offered by UNCLOS-82, the requirement of enforcing National and International laws at sea became a necessity. Thus, a National Maritime Affairs Coordination Committee was constituted by the Government in 1983 to look into the new avenues offered by UNCLOS-82. Deliberations of the Maritime Affairs Coordination Committee first led to the establishment of a Maritime Affairs Wing in the Ministry of Defence in May 1986. Thereafter, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency was established on 1st January 1987 for enforcement of National and International laws, policies and conventions at sea. The PMSA Act was passed in 1994 by the Parliament which provided the necessary legal powers to PMSA to perform its tasks.