KPT to become world’s first port

[LahoreEstate]

Having 18 meters draft by 2013

Sunday, February 01, 2009
KARACHI: Karachi Port will become the first port of the world to have a draft of 18 meters allowing cargo ships of over 100,000DWT to berth here by the year 2013.

In this regard, work on deep water container terminal at China Waters starts next month and will be completed in four years at a total cost of Rs19 billion.

This was disclosed by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri while speaking at his first press conference.

Federal Secretary Ports and Shipping Mohammed Saleem Khan, Chairperson KPT Nasreen Haq besides Chairmen of Port Qasim and Port Gwadar, PNSC, DG Ports and Shipping and other senior officers were also present on the occasion. The minister pointed out that at present the draft at the port is 14.5 meters while many world ports have draft of 16-17 meteres. He said Deep Water Container Terminal will have a draft of 16 meteres in the first phase and further deepened to 18 meters in the second phase.

Ghauri, who earlier held a meeting with Chairmen of three ports and related senior officials, said he wants work to overcome Pakistan’s existing economic crisis and gave them required guidelines in this regard.

Referring to Gwadar Port, the minister said it still does not have road and rail linkages and he is going to tell the road and rail sector organizations to provide these linkages so that “our businessmen could import their goods through this port.” He said so far 12 ships with imported urea anchored at Gwadar Port and 10 of them have been offloaded. He said effort is being made to import wheat from this port.

He told journalists about his meeting with Balochistan chief minister and said the government would address their reservations. He said Balochistan bristles with its right over this port and reservations of the community there too would be addressed.

As regards the future projects, Babar Ghauri informed that work will be taken in hand on Port Tower and Diamond Island City while the city government will construct park at Boat Basin.

To a question, he said talks will be held with the Sindh government on Diamond Island City project. He said “it is in our manifesto that ports should be under the control of provinces.” In a response to another question the minister said plans are afoot to purchase one oil tanker and three cargo ships for PNSC. He said the work has been taken in hand for further modernization of country’s ports in view of changing conditions.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=160115