Business
Karachi port deepens for bigger ships | The Express Tribune
KARACHI:
Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL), a joint venture of AD Ports Group and Kaheel Terminals, a UAE-based company, has launched an ambitious dredging programme at the East Wharf of the Port of Karachi. The initiative will deepen berths and navigation channels at KGTL, enabling the terminal to accommodate post-panamax vessels with a capacity of over 13,000 TEUs.
Simultaneously, KGTL’s sister venture, Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML), will enhance its bulk handling capability, allowing the accommodation of vessels up to 120,000 tonnes compared to the current 60,000 tonnes.
For Pakistan’s exporters and importers, these upgrades will translate directly into tangible gains. Post-panamax vessels are larger ships that bring economies of scale, reducing per-unit freight costs and optimising foreign exchange expenditure on shipping. In turn, more competitive pricing will strengthen export volumes, particularly for industries such as cement, rice, and fertilisers.
The dredging project, scheduled for completion in early 2026, is also expected to improve operational efficiency. The turnaround time for a 60,000-tonne grain vessel is projected to drop from 12 days to just three, cutting port stays by days and boosting throughput significantly.
The Port of Karachi already handles approximately 60% of the nation’s cargo, underscoring its central role in Pakistan’s import-export activity.
By enhancing its capacity on major shipping lanes, Pakistan can position itself more effectively as a gateway for the “Middle Corridor,” linking Central Asia with global markets.
However, experts caution that infrastructure upgrades alone will not guarantee efficiency unless operational bottlenecks are addressed. Karachi Port has long struggled with congestion, ageing equipment, and fragmented customs procedures. Unless improvements extend beyond the quayside to hinterland connectivity, trucking networks, and rail freight, much of the benefit from dredging could be diluted.
By deepening berths, the port will be better integrated into global shipping routes, strengthening Pakistan’s case as a South Asian maritime hub. Yet, regional competition is intensifying. Ports in India, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East are rapidly modernising, offering digitalised customs clearance, bonded logistics parks, and intermodal connectivity.
For Karachi to keep pace, parallel investments in automation, digital tracking, and customs reforms will be essential. Without these measures, even with deeper berths, shipping lines may favour alternative regional hubs that promise smoother operations and lower transaction costs.
The dredging project is fully funded by AD Ports Group under long-term concessions, 50 years for container handling and 25 years for bulk cargo. The investment signals confidence in Pakistan’s maritime future at a time when foreign direct investment remains volatile. Yet, Pakistan’s broader economic fragility could still cast shadows. Currency fluctuations, high energy costs, and political uncertainty risk undermining the competitiveness the project seeks to bolster.
Large-scale dredging projects also raise environmental and urban planning challenges. Sediment disposal, marine ecosystem disruption, and coastal erosion are concerns requiring careful management.
The government on Thursday kept petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged at Rs253.17 per litre and Rs257.08 per litre respectively, for the coming fortnight, starting from January 16.
This decision was notified in a press release issued by the Petroleum Division.
Earlier, it was expected that the prices of all petroleum products would go down by up to Rs4.50 per litre (over 1pc each) today in view of variation in the international market.
Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middle classes.
Meanwhile, most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary, as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains, and agricultural engines such as trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells, and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.
The government is currently charging about Rs100 per litre on petrol and about Rs97 per litre on diesel.
One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times over a two-year period, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He could be ordered to pay more than £18,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.
He will be sentenced next month.
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”.
He pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday.
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.
JSW Jetour T2 Launch: JSW Motors Limited, the passenger vehicle arm of the JSW Group, is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian car market this year. It has partnered with Jetour, a China-based automotive brand owned by Chery Automobile, and the Jetour T2 SUV could be the company’s first product, according to the reports.
Media reports suggest that the launch will happen independently and not under the JSW MG Motor India joint venture. The SUV will wear a JSW badge and name, instead of the Jetour branding. The upcoming SUV will be assembled at JSW’s upcoming greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra.
According to the reports, the company plans to have the vehicle on sale by the third quarter of this year. With this move, JSW aims to establish itself as a standalone carmaker in India.
Expected Powertrain
The SUV is likely to arrive with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid setup. Internationally, this hybrid powertrain is offered with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. It is still unclear which version will be introduced in India.
Design
In terms of design, the T2 is a large and rugged-looking SUV. It has a boxy and upright stance, similar to vehicles like the Land Rover Defender. Despite its tough appearance, it uses a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-frame construction.
Size
The SUV measures around 4.7 metres in length and nearly 2 metres in width. This makes it larger than the Tata Safari, even though it is a five-seater. A longer 7-seat version is also sold in some markets.
Price
Pricing details for India are yet to be announced. For reference, the front-wheel-drive five-seat T2 i-DM is priced at AED 1,44,000 (around Rs 35 lakh) in the UAE.
Jetour
Jetour is a brand owned by Chinese automaker Chery. Launched in 2018, it focuses mainly on SUVs and is present in markets across China, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
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