Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Sunday said the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has achieved the highest annual cargo handling volume in its 138-year history.

Pakistani ports, including the KPT, have emerged as a safe trading hub in recent months due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran war. Global shipping lines diverting vessels to Pakistan triggered an unprecedented surge in transhipment activity at Karachi ports.

In a statement on Sunday, Chaudhry said KPT this fiscal year (FY25-26) surpassed its previous all-time cargo handling record of 54.685 million tonnes, which was set in FY17-18.

Cargo handling refers to the movement, loading, unloading, and storage of goods between ships, trucks, trains, and storage facilities within the port area.

According to figures on the KPT’s website, cargo handling for the previous year (FY24-25) stood at 53.951m tonnes.

In his statement, the minister described the milestone as a reflection of the growing maritime sector and improved port efficiency. He attributed the achievement to effective management and increased port capacity.

He said the record marked significant progress for Pakistan’s maritime economy, port infrastructure and trade, adding that it reflected the success of his ministry’s reform agenda and the institution’s professional capabilities.

Chaudhry said the government was continuing measures to modernise the ports, expand their capacity, strengthen logistics infrastructure and provide facilities in line with international standards to enhance Pakistan’s position as a regional maritime and trade hub.

The minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to modernising all national ports, attracting investment and promoting trade activities to support economic growth.

Chaudhry congratulated KPT Chairman Rear Admiral (retired) Shahid Ahmed, the port’s officers and employees, as well as other stakeholders, for what he described as the result of coordinated planning, teamwork and sustained efforts.

The KPT chairman also congratulated the port’s workforce, saying the achievement reflected the organisation’s professionalism, effective strategy and teamwork. He added that efforts would continue to further improve the port’s operational performance and competitiveness.

Also in FY25-26, the KPT handled a record volume of containerised cargo of over 2.65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the ministry said.

In May, the first-ever fully transhipment cargo vessel arrived at KPT, marking Pakistan’s evolution into a premier regional transhipment hub.

Earlier this month, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and local partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a maritime business district on 140‑acre prime KPT waterfront land.