KARACHI, May 24: President Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) terminal and will also perform the groundbreaking of the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at Port Qasim on Saturday. Both the projects have been taken up by the government to meet the rapidly growing energy demand in the country.

This was disclosed by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri at a hurriedly called press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday. Accompanied by high officials of the ministry, Karachi Port and Port Qasim, the minister at the outset told newsmen that he would not talk on politics.

He said the country could not afford to stop its development work if progress and prosperity had to be ensured and his ministry for the last three years have undertaken a large number of development projects.

Giving some details about the LPG terminal Mr Ghauri said that it had been built at a cost of $50 million by a Kuwaiti company, a Malaysian group and NLC. The terminal’s annual handling capacity of LPG is two million tons and could provide berth to a vessel having a loading capacity of up to 50,000 tons.

The minister said that the LNG terminal was being built by a Pakistani company at a cost of $162 million at Port Qasim and will be completed in a year. This floating terminal would be second in the world because presently, there is one in the UK.

The terminal is being built on BOT basis for a period of 30 years and would generate revenue to the tune of $142 million during this period.

He disclosed that in a week the Hino Chawak flyover would be completed and the president would inaugurate it in the first week of June.

Despite the fact that there is some delay, the food courts being developed by the KPT at old Native Jetty Bridge would be opened for general public in November this year.

The minister said the foundation laying ceremony of the Port Tower, the 10th tallest building of the world, will be held on September 14.

Highlighting achievements of his ministry he said that in last 24 years only three terminals were developed at the PQA whereas during his 3-year tenure nine new terminals have been built.