An overview of Pakistan’s
ports and harbours gives an insight about how far the country is from reaching
its full maritime potential.
A port is a maritime facility comprising wharves where
ships are docked for cargo loading/unloading and disembarking of passengers.
Ports are situated on coastlines and have close connectivity with the sea.
There are different types of ports including cruise ship ports for passenger
ships, dry ports connected by road or rail, fishing ports and inland ports
linked to river or canal. A port is different than a harbor in such a way that
harbors are mooring places for safe anchorage of ships and other waterborne
vessels, whereas ports are completely different commercial water facilities
comprising warehouses, docks and cranes that connect land to the sea for cargo
handling and passengers’ transportation. Ports are vital transportation hubs
that provide facilities for the movement of goods from local markets to
worldwide markets.
Ports are considered vital for supporting the economic life of
any country. Ports do not only serve the purpose of cargo handling but also
bring about local economic well-being. Economy of a country relies heavily on
seamless trade and cargo facilitated through ports which serve as gateways for
domestic and international trade. Countries which have developed and modernized
ports such as Singapore and Dubai are enjoying better trade and transportation
systems in terms of more economic dividends. Moreover, industrial development
is closely tied with ports as industries need a cheap and safe means for
exporting finished goods to and importing raw material from the desired
destination. Here comes the role of ports which augment economic activities
being carried out at land by expanding the volume of international trade and
connecting different economies via sea. Besides, ports also create job
opportunities for local people and supplement infrastructure development in the
vicinity that also add up to more job and business opportunities. Therefore,
ports have an important role to play in a nation’s economic growth.
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.
Gwadar
Port
Gwadar port is the most discussed port among policy makers,
media and academia in recent times. This is the deepest sea port of Pakistan
and lies at the distance of 400 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz and 120
kilometers from Iran’s border. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the primary
channels in the world for global trade and oil supply. Thus being strategically
important for both China and Pakistan, Gwadar port is undergoing rapid
development as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Port
Qasim
Port Qasim is the second busiest and deepest sea port of
Pakistan. The Port is situated in the Indus delta region at a distance of 28
nautical miles in the south-east of Karachi. It has a 49 km long navigational
channel and currently handles more than 40% of seaborne trade of the country.
With a cargo handling capacity of about 17 million tons annually, it is the
second busiest port of Pakistan. Large vessels having 13 meter draught and 347
meter length are handled at this port.
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
Other than major ports, Pakistan also has some smaller ports
which are discussed below:
Keti
Bander Port
Keti Bander port is located in the Thata district of Sindh. This
port is around 150 kilometers away from Karachi and is yet to be developed into
a major port under the Pakistan China Economic Corridor project. Keti Bander
once a vast area of crops including banana, rice, and betel leaf is facing
decreased water level in the Indus River and thus the residents are completely
dependent on fishing for living.
Ormara
Port
Ormara port is located on Makran coastline in Baluchistan. This
port is also considered strategically important as one of the most
strategically important naval bases of Pakistan – Jinnah naval base – is
located there. This port is also considered rich for fishing and has also been
linked with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor through the coastal highway of
Makran.
Pasni
Port
Pasni port is also located along the coastline of Makran in
Baluchistan at a distance of around 300 kilometers away from Karachi. This port
is also under development following the decision of the Pakistan government to
augment cargo activities there by connecting it with China Pakistan Economic
Corridor to make it fully commercial. Pasni has a fully operational airfield
which is used by Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy and Civil Aviation.
Jiwani
Port
This port is strategically very important as it adjoins the
delivery lanes from and to the Persian Gulf. Owing to its strategic location,
this town hosts an airport which has a 5600-foot runway and a small naval base.
Pakistan’s maritime sector has been neglected since the creation
of Pakistan. Therefore, maritime facilities like ports are not fully developed
to support the ongoing economic activities in Pakistan. In fact, lack of
maritime focus is further thwarting the country from tapping its true maritime
economic potential. These ports are not adequately functional to serve the
primary maritime interest of Pakistan. Therefore, the government of Pakistan
must take required steps to modernize and develop these ports for proper
utilization of their true strategic and commercial potential.
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