KARACHI: The much-awaited shifting of oil tankers from Shirin Jinnah Colony to Zulfikarabad Oil Tankers Terminal finally began on Tuesday as over 900 shops relating to oil tankers were allotted through balloting held at the head office of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

City Mayor Wasim Akhtar, who inaugurated the balloting ceremony, said that as many as 918 shopkeepers were allotted shops in the balloting. “Of them, 427 shopkeepers will be given possession in three days,” he added.

Addressing the ceremony, he said that the allotment process had been made transparent to avoid any complaint. Soon a fire station would be set up and security cameras would be installed to ensure security at the terminal, he added.

The mayor said that oil tankers would be shifted speedily after the shopkeepers moved to the terminal and started their business there.

Speaking on the occasion, terminal director Raza Abbas Rizvi said that the 200-acre terminal had the capacity of parking 3,200 oil tankers with all facilities for drivers such as mosque, rest area, canteen, bathrooms, and service and maintenance shops.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2018