KARACHI: A large number of US military vehicles were discharged by a vessel at Karachi Port in the first week of this month. The consignee (importer) of the vehicles was the US army, officials disclosed on Tuesday.

According to official documents and sources, vessel M.V. Liberty Promise carrying about 401 military vehicles, each weighing 2.5 ton, along with four other consignments belonging to private companies, berthed at the port’s East Wharf on March 1. The vessel left the port on March 6.

The Import General Manifest (IGM) of Pakistan Customs did not specify the brand of the military vehicles, but sources at the port told Dawn that most of them were Humvees which had been widely used by the US army in Iraq and Afghanistan up to 2011.

The vessel loaded (port of shipment) the military vehicles from Wilmington, US. However, it could not be ascertained if the final destination of these vehicles is Afghanistan, where the US military has decided to prolong its stay.

But the shipment does suggest that the Karachi Port is being used as a transit facility for shipment of logistical, non-lethal equipment of the US military.

The Karachi Port took special measures to keep the vehicles under wraps by erecting containers around them at East Wharf.

The US military also imported one unit of screen machine, impact crusher, etc, and the port of shipment was Jacksonville. The US Embassy in Islamabad imported four boats, TC craft and tow unit and the port of shipment was Beaumont.

China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd imported 10 trucks from Jeddah and Airblue Ltd air-conditioned passenger buses.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2016