Businessmen from the shipping industry have called on the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to widen the backup area at Karachi Port for quick offloading and loading of cargo.
In a statement on Thursday, Pakistan Stevedores Conference President Tariq Haleem said that free movement of transport was essential for quick discharging and loading of cargo and for the purpose, the backup space at berths was an extremely important element.
According to him, one of the reasons behind low performance on the stevedoring front was the lack of space at Karachi Port.
“Karachi Port Trust is one of the largest land owners in Karachi, hence the small space allotted for loading and unloading cargo at port is very surprising,” he said.
He called for tapping the full potential of Karachi Port and stressed that the right step forward in this regard was to improve infrastructure at the port. “We need to improve the turnaround time of ships calling at Karachi Port,” he said.
He looked forward to KPT Chairman Nadir Mumtaz Warraich to make sure that KPT land was reclaimed and made available for cargo handling, which would also enhance cargo volume as well as increase container freight operations substantially.
Haleem added that members of the association had invested billions of rupees in stevedoring equipment at Karachi Port. “If KPT chairman allots more space at the port, we will increase our investment and equipment accordingly.”
He stressed that when the head of an organisation failed to pay attention to the ground realities, then the entire organisation suffered.
“However, at the Karachi Port Trust, such is not the case because the KPT chairman is a proactive leader who pays attention to the ground realities,” he said. “Issues, which have been pending for many years, are now being addressed.”
He pointed out that berths at the port, which needed repairs for the past many years, were now being reconstructed and badly damaged roads were also being restored. “Efficiency of the port is linked with infrastructure conditions and proactive management.”
