ISLAMABAD
\nMinister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday reaffirmed the government\u2019s strong commitment to strengthening seaports\u2019 efficiency, boosting trade and ensuring sustainable economic development in the country.
\nHe expressed this resolve while chairing a consultative meeting on enhancing the efficiency of Karachi ports by improving hinterland connectivity.
\nAmong others, the meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Member Infrastructure Waqas Anwar, CEO of the Public Private Partnership Authority, besides senior representatives from the Ministries of Maritime Affairs, Communications, Railways, Aviation Division and Commerce Division, a news release said.
\nDuring 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\u2019s Office to address cross-cutting issues at Karachi Port.
\nHe highlighted that Pakistan\u2019s merchandise trade as a percentage of GDP stood at 26 percent, significantly lower than the global average of 44 percent. \u201cFrom 2015 to 2020, Pakistan\u2019s ports handled over 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of container traffic annually, with approximately two-thirds managed at Karachi\u2019s three terminals and the remainder at Port Qasim.\u201d
\nHe pointed out that rail access to Karachi Port was underutilized, with nearly all cargo transported via road, leading to congestion and environmental challenges. \u201cExisting rail facilities are insufficient for efficient goods transfer due to their limited capacity for loading and unloading operations.\u201d
\nKarachi 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.
\nTo address these challenges, the Member Infrastructure proposed short and long-term measures.
\nThe 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.
\nFor long-term solutions, it was recommended to develop an elevated expressway as a priority project to ease road congestion.
\nSimultaneous 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.
\nAfter detailed discussions, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the importance of resolving these challenges for national economic growth, directing the formation of a committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Planning, Port Qasim Authority, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, National Highway Authority (NHA) and Ministry of Railways.
\nThe committee has been tasked with reviewing the issues comprehensively and presenting a consensus-based solution within two weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday reaffirmed the government\u2019s strong commitment to strengthening seaports\u2019 efficiency, boosting trade and ensuring sustainable economic development in the country. He expressed this resolve while chairing a consultative meeting on enhancing the efficiency of Karachi ports by improving hinterland connectivity. Among others, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":442566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-445196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n