KARACHI, April 15: Federal Minister for Communications and Railways Lt-Gen (Retd) Javed Ashraf said on Monday that, with private sector collaboration, the government is determined to make the Karachi Port as a gateway not only to Pakistan but also for the region.

He was addressing as a chief guest the foundation stone laying ceremony of container terminal at berths 6-9 East Wharf, which would cost $65 million, and is being built by a private sector company.

He said the project is a major step towards improving cargo handling operations as it will help Karachi Port to optimise its strategic potentials in the regional scenario.

Javed Ashraf stressed upon the need for involving private sector in other development activities and upgradation of port facilities, which would enable the Karachi Port to facilitate transshipment in a big way.

The container terminal at East Wharf, he said, is a major step towards improving cargo handling operations as it would assist Karachi Port in optimising its strategic potentials in the current regional scenario.

The minister said that with parallel major projects like deepening of channel, reconstruction of OP-II and planning for deep draught berths at Keamari Groyne, the Karachi Port is broadening its conventional market of national cargo to include regional transit and transshipment cargoes.

He said government endeavour is to deepen the draught up to 13.5 meter at both the ports — Karachi Port and Port Qasim — so that large size ships known as ‘mother ships’ could also report at both the ports to achieve the economies of scale.

For achieving this goal, he said new dredgers are being purchased for removing silt from port areas and approach channels throughout the year. The minister said that Port Qasim is also going to allow night navigation as all related facilities have been installed, which he would be inaugurating on Thursday.

He said, “the recent geopolitical developments have provided us an opportunity to integrate ourselves in the global shipping sector as a hub connecting Central Asia, Afghanistan and the rest of the world.”

The minister reiterated the government’s resolve towards involving private sector in all ventures through incentives and capital attractive policies. He said ports and their activities are especially apt for private involvement and investment. Ports are about trade and trade is a market activity, best suited to market people, he added.

Javed Ashraf was appreciative of the efforts of Premier Mercantile Services (PMS) for being partner with KPT in its development programmes particularly the container terminal at berths 6-9, East Wharf.

Speaking on the occasion the chairman KPT, Rear Admiral Ahmed Hayat, said after May, the Karachi Port would launch a major project each month to transform the port into a regional role model.

He said presently port’s development plans are at various stages of implementations and the KPT is geared up to accept new challenges and join hands with port partners in an effort to upgrade port to facilitate transshipment in a big way.

Apart from giving a boost to the port operations, Ahmed Hayat said, the setting up of this container terminal symbolizes the growing interest of the private sector in forming partnerships with the Karachi Port.

The Karachi Port, he said, had already dedicated container terminal at the West Wharf, gantry cranes at East Wharf and a container freight station at TPX, all in the private sector. This indicates that KPT is keen to see private sector develop, play its inherent role and integrate itself as an important and a responsible arm of the port, he added.

In his address of welcome the chief executive of Premier Mercantile Services, Capt Haleem A Siddiqui said the container terminal project is undoubtedly ideally located with the best comparative features than other similar projects in the country.

He said it will be a state-of-the-art dedicated container terminal with most modern post-panamax Gantry Cranes in the country, with 46 meters outreach, capable of servicing the largest vessels to call in this region.