Pakistan’s sea area extends far beyond its beaches. Under international law, the country controls an exclusive economic zone of about 240,000 square kilometres — and the zones within it work like layers.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s sea area centres on an exclusive economic zone of ~240,000 sq km, extending 200 nautical miles into the Arabian Sea, with full sovereignty over the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
In this guide
Pakistan’s maritime zones, from shore outward
- Territorial sea (12 nautical miles): full Pakistani sovereignty — the sea here is legally like land.
- Contiguous zone (24 nm): customs, immigration and policing powers.
- Exclusive economic zone (200 nm): sole rights to fish, drill and exploit resources — about 240,000 sq km.
- Continental shelf: seabed rights, extended beyond 200 nm after Pakistan’s successful UN submission.
What the EEZ is worth
An EEZ the size of the United Kingdom gives Pakistan exclusive rights to fisheries, oil and gas exploration and seabed minerals across a vast swathe of the northern Arabian Sea. It is also the legal basis for regulating shipping lanes that carry Gulf oil past Gwadar and Karachi — some of the world’s busiest energy routes.
The Sir Creek question
The one unsettled maritime boundary is Sir Creek, the marshy estuary where the coast meets India. The two countries disagree on where the boundary line runs through the creek, which in turn affects EEZ delimitation in the eastern Arabian Sea — and the fisheries and potential hydrocarbons beneath it. The dispute has outlasted decades of talks.
Frequently asked questions
How large is Pakistan’s EEZ?
About 240,000 sq km — roughly the size of the United Kingdom.
How far do Pakistan’s territorial waters extend?
12 nautical miles from the coast, with full sovereignty.
