Ports serve a country’s economy by assisting international trade; hosting ships that are here to contribute to the economic cycle of a nation. In Pakistan, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Karachi is the second-largest Port and one of the biggest hubs of imports and export that keep the country up and running.
Port Qasim has been listed in the top 150 ports in the world, with the infrastructure being built on an artificial harbor in the deep sea. It is located in Karachi, Sindh, and has been operational since its inauguration in 1980.
In this blog, Graana.com gives you a detailed insight into what Port Qasim is, how it contributes to the country’s economic stance and the areas around it.
How Big is Port Muhammad Bin Qasim?
This Port is currently running under the operations conducted by Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and covers an area of 50 sq. kilometres.
The Port covers an area of 1000 acres that joins with an industrial estate area of 11,000 acres and is located in the Indus Delta Regions. You can access it by going to the Korangi Industrial area, which is a little distant from the city.
It is in very close proximity to Port Karachi near the Indus River, which is the main reason why a lot of people regard both these ports as the same. For the ease of administrative activities and trade handling, the harbour is divided into 3 zones, i.e.
- Eastern Industrial Zone (EIZ) – 8,300 acres
- North Western Industrial Zone (NWIZ) – 2,920 acres
- South Western Industrial Zone (SWIZ) – 1,000 acres
The most interesting thing to factor in about Karachi Port Qasim is that it has a dedicated Iron Ore Coal Berth, which is solely for accomodating the handling of bulk raw materials that go to Pakistan Steel Mill. Currently, the Port has a collective (both private and governmental) total of 18 berths that annually gives around 89 million tons. Most
Where is the Port Located?
Geographically, the Bin Qasim Port is located in close vicinity to the primary delivery routes that keep the trade procedure running smoothly. This is one of the biggest advantages of this Port, and the main reason why it remains the second-busiest Port of Pakistan.
It is just 15 km away from Pakistan National Highway, 14 km away from the railway tracks that are located just behind the berths. And lastly, it is situated at a distance of just 22 km from Jinnah Airport Karachi, Pakistan’s largest airport.
What Facilities does it Offer?
Besides raw materials for steel, the import of oils, rice, cement, fertilizers, containers, mineral oils, coal, even LNG (Liquefied natural gas), etc., all are being managed at the Port with advanced terminals that are keeping the economy running.
The most significant property of this Port is that it is the only Port that handles LNG in Pakistan and therefore serves as the primary energy hub of the country amongst the list of Karachi Port Qasim industries.
Ports are typically entirely dedicated to material handling, import and export management, and there is a lot of work, so there are no recreational facilities around. The only facilities are to make the workload of the people involved in this entire network easier. Usually, berthed ships at the Port are facilitated via
- Single berth Oil Terminal under Fotco Oil Terminal
- 4 berth Multipurpose Terminal under PQA
- 5 berth Container Terminal under Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT)
- Single berth Liquid Chemical Terminal under Engro Vopak Ltd.
Expansionary projects are in planning for Port Qasim Karachi in the future that offers enhanced facilities for additional liquid cargo terminals, oil terminals, steel jetty and container terminals.
In addition to this, there are also plans to construct several coal and clinker processing units, a GasPort LNG Floating Terminal, and a Granada LNG Unit.
How Can We Visit Port Qasim?
Port Muhammad Bin Qasim spans a total area of around 12,000 acres and features over 80% of the total manufacturing and assembling plants that assist Pakistan’s Automotive Industry.
Due to its value and importance in Pakistan’s economic and trade capacity and the ships that carry the cargo and containers, it sparks a wave of interest in people who are curious to know about how this system works and where it all happens.
However, it is not easy to just walk around the area. It might not be restricted to the public, but there are no recreational facilities around as such. Only local food shops and dhaabas can be found that cater to the hunger of the workers and people living in the area. Moreover, it also falls in close vicinity to Russian beach at Port Qasim Karachi.
Visiting with an employee for the Port and Trade Handling is a good way to go, but it is typically a no-go area for the public to enter the vicinity due to heavy machinery and handling at all times.
Property and Residential Areas around Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
Port Qasim and surrounding areas are not residence-friendly; instead, it is an industrial area that you can opt for if you’re looking for commercial investment and setting up a business. This area is a popular place for setting up factories and industries, as there are many food and textile factories in the area.
The prices of plots around Port Qasim Karachi Pakistan start from as low as 54 lacs for an area of 200 sq. yard plot. The higher the property size, the higher the price, going up to the highest land cost of 17 crores.
This Port is ideal for investors who want to set up warehouses or manufacturing plants for their businesses.
Keeping in view the facts mentioned above, it is evident that Port Qasim in Karachi holds a very crucial and significant position for Pakistan’s development and economic growth. It is a vast area that handles trade for all areas and serves as the energy hub to the country.
If you are looking for more information regarding important areas that are located near Karachi, follow Graana.com to stay updated on what’s happening and where.
