Port Operations Overhaul: Minister’s Plan to Enhance Efficiency and Trade

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to enhancing the efficiency of seaports, boosting trade, and ensuring sustainable economic development in the country.

During the meeting, Member Infrastructure Waqas Anwar presented a detailed briefing on improving port efficiency, providing a progress update from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs regarding a committee constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office to address cross-cutting issues at Karachi Port.

Minister planning highlighted that Pakistan’s merchandise trade as a percentage of GDP stood at 26 percent, significantly lower than the global average of 44 percent. “From 2015 to 2020, Pakistan’s ports handled over 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of container traffic annually, with approximately two-thirds managed at Karachi’s three terminals and the remainder at Port Qasim.”

He pointed out that rail access to Karachi Port was underutilized, with nearly all cargo transported via road, leading to congestion and environmental challenges. “Existing rail facilities are insufficient for efficient goods transfer due to their limited capacity for loading and unloading operations.”

Karachi Port faces significant road congestion due to ban on trucks movement from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., affecting traffic flow into and out of port areas. Port Qasim, on the other hand, benefits from better road connectivity (N-5 and M-9 via Eastern Bypass) but may face road access congestion by 2030 if rail connectivity is not improved.

To address these challenges, the Member Infrastructure proposed short and long-term measures.
The short-term measures include implementing 24/7 port operations while scheduling freight truck movements to reduce congestion. Freight trucks would use port gates only during pre-arranged schedules.

For long-term solutions, it was recommended to develop an elevated expressway as a priority project to ease road congestion.

Simultaneous investments in rail infrastructure were also proposed to enhance up-country freight transport efficiency and reduce overall transportation costs. Both projects should progress concurrently to maximize long-term benefits.