Pakistan - Ports

Pakistan is blessed with the 1046 kilometer coastline along the Arabian Sea. The coastline is divided into Makran Coast spreading over 800 kilometers and Sindh Coast extending up to 246 kilometers. Pakistan, so far, has developed three big ports namely Karachi port, Gwadar port and Muhammad Bin Qasim port. Muhammad Bin Qasim port or Port Qasim is one of the oldest ports of Pakistan whereas Karachi port is the busiest among all. Gwadar port with significant geostrategic location has been lately developed by Pakistan in collaboration with China. Gwadar port is one of the deepest sea ports in the world and can accommodate up to a sixteen meter deep cargo ship. Pakistan’s geography is strategically significant given its connectivity with different regions including Western China, Afghanistan and Central Asian Republicans such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Hence, all the above mentioned ports hold strategic importance for the country. These ports have their own administrative units. However, Ministry of Maritime Affairs being the central administrative authority is mandated to facilitate and administer the development of port and the shipping industry of Pakistan. When it comes to the admiralty jurisdiction, these ports fall under the jurisdiction of Sindh and Baluchistan High Courts by virtue of the Admiralty Jurisdiction of High Court Ordinance, 1980.

Karachi Port

Karachi port is one of the largest ports in South Asia and the busiest port of Pakistan. This port is considered to be an economic hub of Pakistan dealing around sixty percent of the nation’s cargo. Karachi Port is a deep natural port with an 11.5 km-long navigable channel and a 12.2 meter-deep approach channel.  The port has 30 dry cargo and 3 liquid cargo handling berths including a privately operated modern container terminal – the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT).  The port is handling about 26 million tons of cargo per annum which includes 14 million tons of liquid and 12 million tons of dry cargo. Presently about 1600 ships are visiting Karachi Port annually and the berth occupancy is about 45%, which shows that there is enough capacity in the port to handle more cargo.