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Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Marine pollution threatens blue economy
Listen to article Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has warned that marine pollution poses a severe threat to Pakistan's blue economy. It harms biodiversity, fisheries, and tourism while also contributing to climate change, economic loss, and public health risks. According to an official statement, the minister issued this warning while chairing a meeting of the Marine Pollution Control Board. Representatives from all relevant ministries and departments were present. To address the crisis, two committees were formed to identify key issues and submit reports within 20 days. These will focus on the Sewage Treatment Plant-III (STP-III) and the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), both aimed at treating industrial and municipal wastewater. The minister expressed displeasure over a 15-year gap in board meetings and directed that regular sessions now be held. He also called for a comprehensive public awareness campaign and urged stakeholders to engage the public in tackling marine pollution. He stressed the need for strict enforcement of environmental laws under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, with heavy penalties for violators. Chaudhry advocated expanding SEPA's powers to ensure effective regulation. He stated that up to 90% of land-based marine pollutionmainly untreated sewage and solid wastecould be prevented with targeted measures. He highlighted the far-reaching impacts of pollution, including contaminated seafood, declining fish stocks, lost tourism revenue, and erosion of coastal infrastructure. He also warned of marine habitat destruction and possible species extinction. Sea-based pollution, such as ship waste, ballast water discharge, offshore drilling, fishing operations, and shipbreaking, contributes about 10% to overall marine pollution. The minister urged the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and maritime authorities to enforce stricter controls. Officials briefed the minister on Karachi's alarming pollution levels. The city releases over 472 million gallons of sewage daily, including nearly 100 million gallons of industrial waste. This flows into the Lyari and Malir rivers, eventually reaching the Arabian Sea. Solid wasteincluding plastics, recyclables, and biodegradable materialsis dumped near coastal zones, worsening marine degradation. Proposed solutions include installing nets on stormwater drains, fencing rivers, and removing floating trash from harbours. The statement also urged expediting the completion of the Sewerage Treatment Project and building new plants in critical areas like Manora, Baba Bhit, Kalri, and Phitti nullahs.
Business Recorder
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
LCCI delegation visits KPT
KARACHI: A high profile trade and business community delegation of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) visited Karachi Port Trust Head Office to explore business prospects that the premier national port offers to the trade and business community of Lahore as well as to the whole province Punjab. A briefing on the infrastructure, operational capabilities and the port projects was provided to the esteemed delegates during the occasion which was chaired by the members of Transition Management Committee (TMC), Abdullah Zaki and Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol. The delegates took keen interest in the ongoing and future projects of KPT as well as the prospects that Karachi Port offers to provide ease of doing business to the business community of Punjab. Numerous investment opportunities available to private sector including blue economy opportunities, establishment of LPG/Container terminals, Business District, the ferry service cum marine tourism and adventure projects were also discussed during the occasion. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KPT handles all-time high cargo in FY25
KARACHI: Karachi Port Trust closes fiscal year 2024-25 with flying colors to record a cargo handling milestone of 54 million tons and broke its all-time container handling record to register a massive handling of 2.65 million TEUs. This exceptional growth is driven by a dynamic leadership of Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and the Transition Management Committee of KPT for paving way for the Karachi Port to take advantage of surge in both imports and exports to boost national trade and economic momentum. A comprehensive analysis highlights the outstanding performance of the Karachi Port in handling export and import cargoes during the ending fiscal year. A notable cargo handling growth of 4.45% is witnessed comparatively from last fiscal year 2023-24 when the port recorded handling of 53.95 million tons during the ending fiscal year 2024-25. Breakup shows that the port handled 41.68 million tons of dry cargo with a growth 3.57% and 12.28 million tons of liquid bulk cargo with a growth of 7.56% during the ending year 2024-25 comparatively from previous financial year 2023-24. A further breakup shows that the port has closed the handling of Export Cargo with impressive growth rate of 6.49% while registering a handling of 20.02 million tons during the ending fiscal year. Import has also remained impressive to record a growth of 3.28% from the preceding year to close at 33.93 million tons during the ending fiscal year. Similarly, the breakup of dry cargo exports handling closed at 18.91 million tons, 7.06% more from handling from last year, due to extraordinary handling of Clinker, Rice, Talc Lumps, etc. Whereas, the dry cargo imports closed at 22.77 million tons, 0.81% more handling from last year, due to handling of mostly Soyabean and Yellow Peas. An audit of liquid bulk imports handling depicts that the port has handled 11.16 million tons during the ending fiscal year showing an increase of 8.66% resulting mostly from the handling of Crude Oil, Palm Oil, Base Oil, Chemicals, Soyabean Oil, Canola Oil, etc. The container handling at Karachi Port reached a record handling of 2.65 million TEUs during the ending year 2024-25 which has mainly resulted due to increased trade activities at the port due to favourable trade policies of the present government. The vessel movement and handling at Karachi Port has also registered a growth of 11% during the ending fiscal year. Out of total handling of 1943 vessels/ships; the port handled 1093 container ships, 218 bulk carriers, 180 general cargo ships and 452 liquid bulk ship Tankers at the port. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Arab News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan's biggest port hits record 54 million tons in FY25, boosting trade prospects
KARACHI: Pakistan's largest port in Karachi said on Wednesday it handled a record 54 million tons of cargo in the last fiscal year, saying it reflected the government's favorable trade policies and an increase in the country's trading volume. The Karachi Port Trust has been handling containerized cargo since 1973, becoming a key regional shipment hub. With three world-class terminals spanning 33 square kilometers, the port says it connects major shipping lines globally. Pakistan has reached out to regional allies in recent months to enhance trade and economic cooperation, as it tries to improve its precarious balance of payments position and ensure sustainable economic growth. 'Karachi Port Trust closes fiscal year 2024-25 with flying colors to record a cargo handling milestone of 54 million tons and broke its all-time container handling record to register a massive handling of 2.65 million TEU [Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit] containers,' the port said. The KPT said it witnessed a cargo handling growth of 4.45 percent compared to fiscal year 2023-24, when the port recorded the handling of 53.95 million tons. The KPT said a breakup of the figures show that the port handled 41.68 million tons of dry cargo in fiscal year 2024-25, registering a growth 3.57 percent and 12.28 million tons of liquid bulk cargo, which recorded a growth of 7.56 percent during the fiscal year 2023-24. The handling of export cargo witnessed a growth rate of 6.49 percent, registering a handling of 20.02 million tons during the ending fiscal year. It said import cargo handling also remained impressive, recording a growth of 3.28 percent from the preceding year to close at 33.93 million tons during FY25. 'The container handling at Karachi Port reached a record handling of 2.65 million TEUs during the ending year 2024-25 which has mainly resulted due to increased trade activities at the port due to favorable trade policies of the present government,' the port said. It said vessel movement and handling at the port also registered a growth of 11 percent during the last fiscal year. Out of 1,943 vessels and ships, KPT said it handled 1,093 container ships, 218 bulk carriers, 180 general cargo ships and 452 liquid bulk ship tankers at the port. 'Karachi Port Trust ensures full compliance with the directives of Maritime Affairs Ministry and is well positioned to facilitate in the speedy recovery of national economy,' the port said.
Business Recorder
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Uzbek delegation visits KPT to explore maritime prospects in Pakistan
KARACHI: A three-member delegation led by Uzbekistan's Ambassador, Alisher Takhtayev visited Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to explore potential opportunities for cooperation and investment in Pakistan's maritime sector. The visit marked an important step in strengthening maritime collaboration between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The Uzbek delegation, comprising three senior officials and business representatives, was led by Alisher Tukhtaev, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan. The purpose of the visit was to examine investment potential and partnership opportunities within the maritime and port infrastructure of Pakistan. This visit followed a recent meeting between the Ambassador and the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Islamabad, where both sides discussed the significance of building sustainable maritime linkages to support mutual economic growth, promote regional connectivity, and ensure long-term prosperity through ocean-based industries. During the engagement, members of KPT's Transition Management Committee, Abdullah Zaki and Khawaja M Zubair, presented detailed insights into Pakistan's blue economy landscape, particularly focusing on the Karachi Port's role in trade facilitation and development. The discussions also touched upon projects involving clean bulk cargo handling, logistics connectivity, and Maritime Business District projects, underlining Pakistan's commitment to diversify and sustainable maritime development. The Uzbek delegation expressed keen interest in the terminal operations of the port and keenly noted the potential of port expansion and other commercial opportunities within the blue economy that the Maritime sector of Pakistan offers. They acknowledged Pakistan's strategic position as a gateway to maritime trade and viewed the developments at KPT as a valuable opportunity to enhance landlocked Uzbekistan's connectivity to global markets. The delegation also visited South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited (SAPTL), where they witnessed modern container handling operations, including the use of state-of-the-art gantry cranes and other advanced equipment deployed by terminal operators. In a statement, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and underlined Pakistan's commitment to exploring economic avenues within the framework of its expanding blue economy, particularly with Central Asian nations. The visit underscored the growing sophistication and efficiency of Karachi Port's operations and served as a meaningful step toward fostering Uzbekistan-Pakistan maritime cooperation, he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
