The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim (Urdu: محمد بن قاسم بندرگاہBandar-gāh Muhammad bin Qāsim), or Qasim Port Authority (Urdu: مقتدرہ قاسم بندرگاہ), also known as Port Qasim, is a deep-water seaport in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, on the coastline of the Arabian Sea under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Maritime Affairs. It is Pakistan's second busiest port, handling about 35% of the nation's cargo (17 million tons per annum). Port Qasim and Karachi Port, the busiest port of country, together handle more than 90% of all external trade of Pakistan.
121st busiest container port (TEU Container Traffic) in 2007[6]
Website www.pqa.gov.pk
Map of Pakistan, showing Port Qasim and its sister ports of Karachi and Gwadar.
The port encompasses a total area of 12,000 acres (49 km2) wherein many industrial zones operate. In addition to the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and KESC Bin Qasim Power Plant, around 80% of the Pakistan's automotive industry is located at Port Qasim. The port also provides direct waterfront access to two major nearby industrial areas, Export Processing Zone (Landhi) and Korangi Industrial Area. Approximately 60% of country's export and import is originated from these areas. Port Qasim is managed by Port Qasim Authority, a semi-autonomous government body.[7]
In the 1970s, as a part of Pakistani Prime MinisterZulfiqar Ali Bhutto's program for economic reforms and establishment of heavy industries, country's first steel mill (Pakistan Steel Mills) was established near the southern city of Karachi. A purpose-built specialised port facility was also decided to be established for bulk handling of the massive imports of raw materials for steel production by the Pakistan Steel Mill of Pakistan.[8] In addition to the future economic demands and strategic needs, this port was also meant to relieve congestion at the only seaport Karachi Port of the country. This port was named as Port Muhammad bin Qasim (also known as Port Qasim), after the Muslim general Muhammad bin Qasim who conquered Daybul and the coastal areas of Sindh around 712 CE.[2][9]
Location
Port Qasim is located, adjacent to the Bin Qasim town, in the southern part of Malir district, Karachi division, in Sindh. It is located in an old channel of the Indus River at a distance of 35 kilometres east of Karachi city center.
The geographic position of the Port Qasim places it in close proximity to major shipping routes. The approach to the port is along a 45-kilometre long Navigation Channel which provides safe navigation for vessels up to 75,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT).
Location of the Port Qasim makes it very well connected to the transportation infrastructure of the country. It is at distance of only 15 km from the national highway, providing direct access to the hinterland through road. A further 14 km of railway track inside the terminal links it to the national railway network through 6 railway tracks. Jinnah International Airport is also very near, at a distance of 22 km.
Port Qasim's residential area is a neighbourhood of Bin Qasim Town of Karachi.
Land allocation for port and industrial zones
The total area of the port comprises 3,520 acres (14.2 km2) with an adjacent 8,700 acres (35 km2) industrial estate. Port Qasim has been divided into three main zones as following:[10]
Zone
Total Area (Acres)
Area Reserved for
Port Services (Acres)
Area Reserved for
Industrial Use (Acres)
North Western Industrial Zone (NWIZ)
2,920
904
2,016
South Western Industrial Zone (SWIZ)
1,000
125.5
874.5
Eastern Industrial Zone (EIZ)
8,300
2,490
5,810
Total
12,220
3,519.5
8,700
Map of southeastern coastal strip of Karachi, showing Port Qasim and mangrove forests
Terminal facilities
Currently Port Qasim is offering following facilities:
Night navigation facilities are available at the port, handling up to vessels of LOA 202 meters during night.
Expansion projects
Port Qasim has planned for a major expansion in coming years with FDI of US$1.22 billion approximately. Major expansion projects of the port are as following:[12]
Infrastructure Development works in Eastern Industrial Zone
Rs. 8.8 billion
TBC
Textile City with Power Plant & Waste Water Treatment Plant
Rs. 8.7 billion
TBC
Integrated cargo container control (IC3) facility
The country's first Integrated Cargo Container Control (IC3) facility is being constructed at Port Qasim with a joint investment over US$8 million by Pakistan Customs and the US Customs and Border Protection.
The purpose of the IC3 programme is to enhance international maritime trade security considering post 9/11 security issues. The IC3 programme envisages joint screening of US-bound containerised cargo from Pakistan via live video link by the customs authorities of Pakistan and the US. The US Customs will not subject the screened cargo to re-examination on arrival at US ports. This facility will support trade in terms of reduced time and cost of shipments.[14][15]
Environmental issues
Mangrove forest
Port Qasim is located on the northwest edge of the Indus Delta system. The system is characterised by long and narrow creeks, mud flats and the Indus River Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves, one of the largest mangrove forest ecosystems found in an arid climate.[16] In 1972 eight species of mangrove trees were recorded from Pakistan,[17] however, only four continue to thrive. Several species of reptiles, birds, and terrestrial mammals inhabit the project area, wherever suitable habitats are found. These are constantly under threat due to increased shipping and industrial activities in the area.
Aerial picture of Port Qasim, with surrounding Mangrove forests.
WWF Pakistan has taken a mangrove conservation initiative recognising the social, ecological and economic significance of the mangrove forests in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. As a part of this, initiative has been taken on conservation of the mangrove ecosystem in the Korangi – Phitti Creek system, in the Indus Delta (including Port Qasim area). The project aims to conserve selected degraded mangrove forests in the Korangi – Phitti creek area through involvement of community, local schoolchildren and other stakeholders like Port Qasim Authority and the Government Forest Department.[16][18]
Tasman oil spill 2003 at Karachi Beach
In August 2003, the beach immediately west of the Port Qasim navigation channel was the scene of a major oil spillage when the Greek-registered Tasman Spirit ran aground. The environmental impact included large numbers of dead fish and turtles and a key mangrove forest, as well as dozens of people suffering nausea. At that time, it was feared that this incident will harm the coastal life in the Port Qasim area, however no major impact was observed near the Phitti Creek (waterway entrance to Port Qasim).[19]
Pollution-free terminal
Recently Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has announced that an implementation agreement is being signed for the development of a 'pollution-free' Coal, Cement and Clinker Terminal (CCCT) worth $175 million with a handling capacity of up to eight million tons per year at port. This step would save the environment from irreparable damages and the health of the port workforce and nearby populations from serious respiratory diseases which would have been a serious threat if the powdery coal was handled in open/bulk on berths at port.[20]
^Environmental Data Resource Centre, WWF Pakistan, Head Office, Lahore.
^Tasman Spirit Oil Spill – Assessment Report 27 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine Pakistan – Oil spill in the Port of Karachi, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
^Coal, cement and clinker terminal: PICT to build $175 million 'pollution free' facility at Port Qasim, Business Recorder, 07 August 2009.
External links
Port Qasim Authority
Pakistan National Shipping Corporation
Port Qasim Location Map
August 16, 2023
port, qasim, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, april, 2009, l. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Port Qasim news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Urdu محمد بن قاسم بندرگاہ Bandar gah Muhammad bin Qasim or Qasim Port Authority Urdu مقتدرہ قاسم بندرگاہ also known as Port Qasim is a deep water seaport in Karachi Sindh Pakistan on the coastline of the Arabian Sea under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Maritime Affairs It is Pakistan s second busiest port handling about 35 of the nation s cargo 17 million tons per annum Port Qasim and Karachi Port the busiest port of country together handle more than 90 of all external trade of Pakistan Port Muhammad Bin QasimPort QasimLocationCountry PakistanLocationKarachi SindhCoordinates24 46 N 67 20 E 24 767 N 67 333 E 24 767 67 333UN LOCODEPKBQM 1 DetailsOpenedSeptember 1980 2 Owned byMinistry of Ports and Shipping and Government of PakistanType of harbourArtificialLand area12 200 acresNo of berths15Employees2 000 1 576 Staff and 279 Officers ChairmanRear Admiral R Syed Hasan Nasir Shah HI M StatisticsVessel arrivals1709 FY 2020 21 3 Annual cargo tonnage58 million metric revenue tons including 21 62 million MT of dry cargo and 19 968 million MT of liquid cargo FY 2020 21 Annual container volume1 258 000 TEU s with tonnage of 16 405 million MT FY 2020 21 Tidal Variation0 5 to 3 5m at channel mouth and port 4 Deadweight Tonnage75 000 DWT 5 Ranking121st busiest container port TEU Container Traffic in 2007 6 Websitewww pqa gov pkMap of Pakistan showing Port Qasim and its sister ports of Karachi and Gwadar The port encompasses a total area of 12 000 acres 49 km2 wherein many industrial zones operate In addition to the Pakistan Steel Mills PSM and KESC Bin Qasim Power Plant around 80 of the Pakistan s automotive industry is located at Port Qasim The port also provides direct waterfront access to two major nearby industrial areas Export Processing Zone Landhi and Korangi Industrial Area Approximately 60 of country s export and import is originated from these areas Port Qasim is managed by Port Qasim Authority a semi autonomous government body 7 Contents 1 History 2 Location 3 Land allocation for port and industrial zones 4 Terminal facilities 5 Expansion projects 6 Integrated cargo container control IC3 facility 7 Environmental issues 7 1 Mangrove forest 7 2 Tasman oil spill 2003 at Karachi Beach 7 3 Pollution free terminal 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksHistory EditIn the 1970s as a part of Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto s program for economic reforms and establishment of heavy industries country s first steel mill Pakistan Steel Mills was established near the southern city of Karachi A purpose built specialised port facility was also decided to be established for bulk handling of the massive imports of raw materials for steel production by the Pakistan Steel Mill of Pakistan 8 In addition to the future economic demands and strategic needs this port was also meant to relieve congestion at the only seaport Karachi Port of the country This port was named as Port Muhammad bin Qasim also known as Port Qasim after the Muslim general Muhammad bin Qasim who conquered Daybul and the coastal areas of Sindh around 712 CE 2 9 Location EditPort Qasim is located adjacent to the Bin Qasim town in the southern part of Malir district Karachi division in Sindh It is located in an old channel of the Indus River at a distance of 35 kilometres east of Karachi city center The geographic position of the Port Qasim places it in close proximity to major shipping routes The approach to the port is along a 45 kilometre long Navigation Channel which provides safe navigation for vessels up to 75 000 tonnes deadweight DWT Location of the Port Qasim makes it very well connected to the transportation infrastructure of the country It is at distance of only 15 km from the national highway providing direct access to the hinterland through road A further 14 km of railway track inside the terminal links it to the national railway network through 6 railway tracks Jinnah International Airport is also very near at a distance of 22 km Port Qasim s residential area is a neighbourhood of Bin Qasim Town of Karachi Land allocation for port and industrial zones EditThe total area of the port comprises 3 520 acres 14 2 km2 with an adjacent 8 700 acres 35 km2 industrial estate Port Qasim has been divided into three main zones as following 10 Zone Total Area Acres Area Reserved for Port Services Acres Area Reserved for Industrial Use Acres North Western Industrial Zone NWIZ 2 920 904 2 016South Western Industrial Zone SWIZ 1 000 125 5 874 5Eastern Industrial Zone EIZ 8 300 2 490 5 810Total 12 220 3 519 5 8 700 Map of southeastern coastal strip of Karachi showing Port Qasim and mangrove forestsTerminal facilities EditCurrently Port Qasim is offering following facilities Facility Berths Berth Length Owned by Deadweight tonnage DWTMultipurpose Terminal 4 200 m PQA 35 000Container Terminal 3 Terminal 1 2 Terminal 2 712 m Terminal 615 m Terminal 2 Qasim International Container Terminal 11 45 000Liquid Chemical Terminal 1 TBC Engro Vopak Terminal Limited 75 000Oil Terminal 1 TBC Fotco Oil Terminal 75 000Night navigation facilities are available at the port handling up to vessels of LOA 202 meters during night Expansion projects EditPort Qasim has planned for a major expansion in coming years with FDI of US 1 22 billion approximately Major expansion projects of the port are as following 12 Project Capacity Budget Completion YearLiquid Cargo terminal 4 million MT year US 15 million 20092nd Container Terminal 1 175 million TEUs year US 250 million 2011GasPort LNG Floating Terminal 3 million MT year US 160 million 2010Grain amp Fertilizer Terminal 4 million MT year US 100 million 2011Coal Clinker amp Cement Terminal 8 million MT year US 180 million 13 2011Granada LNG Terminal 3 5 million MT year US 274 million 20122nd Oil Terminal 9 million MT year US 51 4 million 20122nd Steel Jetty 8 million MT year US 150 million TBCDeepening amp Widening of navigation Channel US 150 million TBCConstruction of a fly over and dual carriage way Rs 2 billion TBCInfrastructure Development works in Eastern Industrial Zone Rs 8 8 billion TBCTextile City with Power Plant amp Waste Water Treatment Plant Rs 8 7 billion TBCIntegrated cargo container control IC3 facility EditThe country s first Integrated Cargo Container Control IC3 facility is being constructed at Port Qasim with a joint investment over US 8 million by Pakistan Customs and the US Customs and Border Protection The purpose of the IC3 programme is to enhance international maritime trade security considering post 9 11 security issues The IC3 programme envisages joint screening of US bound containerised cargo from Pakistan via live video link by the customs authorities of Pakistan and the US The US Customs will not subject the screened cargo to re examination on arrival at US ports This facility will support trade in terms of reduced time and cost of shipments 14 15 Environmental issues EditMangrove forest Edit Port Qasim is located on the northwest edge of the Indus Delta system The system is characterised by long and narrow creeks mud flats and the Indus River Delta Arabian Sea mangroves one of the largest mangrove forest ecosystems found in an arid climate 16 In 1972 eight species of mangrove trees were recorded from Pakistan 17 however only four continue to thrive Several species of reptiles birds and terrestrial mammals inhabit the project area wherever suitable habitats are found These are constantly under threat due to increased shipping and industrial activities in the area Aerial picture of Port Qasim with surrounding Mangrove forests WWF Pakistan has taken a mangrove conservation initiative recognising the social ecological and economic significance of the mangrove forests in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan As a part of this initiative has been taken on conservation of the mangrove ecosystem in the Korangi Phitti Creek system in the Indus Delta including Port Qasim area The project aims to conserve selected degraded mangrove forests in the Korangi Phitti creek area through involvement of community local schoolchildren and other stakeholders like Port Qasim Authority and the Government Forest Department 16 18 Tasman oil spill 2003 at Karachi Beach Edit In August 2003 the beach immediately west of the Port Qasim navigation channel was the scene of a major oil spillage when the Greek registered Tasman Spirit ran aground The environmental impact included large numbers of dead fish and turtles and a key mangrove forest as well as dozens of people suffering nausea At that time it was feared that this incident will harm the coastal life in the Port Qasim area however no major impact was observed near the Phitti Creek waterway entrance to Port Qasim 19 Pollution free terminal Edit Recently Port Qasim Authority PQA has announced that an implementation agreement is being signed for the development of a pollution free Coal Cement and Clinker Terminal CCCT worth 175 million with a handling capacity of up to eight million tons per year at port This step would save the environment from irreparable damages and the health of the port workforce and nearby populations from serious respiratory diseases which would have been a serious threat if the powdery coal was handled in open bulk on berths at port 20 See also EditList of ports in Pakistan Port of Karachi Port of Gwadar Keti Bandar List of seaports Bin Qasim Town Buddo Island Bundal Island Port Qasim Authority Port Qasim Authority cricket team Ministry of Maritime Affairs Pakistan References Edit UNLOCODE PK PAKISTAN service unece org Retrieved 25 April 2020 a b Port Qasim its potential as free trade amp industrial zone by Jamil A Siddiqui in June 1991 issue of Economic Review Port Qasim Operational Statistics FY 2016 17 to 2021 21 Port Qasim Introduction Archived from the original on 11 December 2009 Presentation on Ports of Pakistan by Economic Affairs Division Government of Pakistan World Port Rankings 2007 Archived 7 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine Port Industry Statistics American Association of Port Authorities AAPA Updated 1 May 2007 15 4 metres long ship docked at Karachi port spokesperson 11 June 2019 Forty Years of Pakistan Peoples Party The official site of Pakistan Peoples Party Port Qasim Pakistan Section Manufacturing Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2009 Industrial Zones at Port Qasim Archived 15 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Marine Terminals Pakistan DP World Archived from the original on 24 November 2007 Retrieved 22 March 2008 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Port Qasim Expansion Projects Archived from the original on 14 December 2002 Port Qasim bulk terminal planned Retrieved 10 November 2010 Press release by Media Section PQA permanent dead link dated 20 April 2007 DP World Karachi Archived from the original on 11 July 2010 a b Conservation of Mangrove Forests in the Coastal Areas of Sindh and Balochistan Archived 4 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine by WWF Pakistan Flora of Pakistan 1972 Environmental Data Resource Centre WWF Pakistan Head Office Lahore Tasman Spirit Oil Spill Assessment Report Archived 27 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine Pakistan Oil spill in the Port of Karachi UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Coal cement and clinker terminal PICT to build 175 million pollution free facility at Port Qasim Business Recorder 07 August 2009 External links EditPort Qasim Authority Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Pakistan Board of Investment Port Qasim Location Map Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Port Qasim amp 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