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The Port of Karachi ( ur, , ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
's largest and busiest deep-water
seaports A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. It is located on the
Karachi Harbour Karachi Harbour is a narrow bay and river estuary located west of the Indus River Delta in Karachi, Pakistan. The harbour lies between the Lyari River delta and Chinna Creek to the north, and the Arabian Sea to the south. Since 1886, sections of ...
, between
Kiamari Keamari ( sd, ڪياماڙي, ur, کیماڑی ) is a neighbourhood in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Keamari was originally an independent settlement that was built on a sandy ridge on the eastern side of Karachi Harbour. History Keamari was a l ...
azra langri,
Manora Manora may refer to: * Manora, Karachi, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora, Washim, a taluka in Washim district of Maharashtra, India * Manora Cantonment, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora Fort, Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora For ...
, and
Kakapir Kakapir ( ur, ) is a fishing village in Karachi Harbour, 15 kilometers to the west of Karachi, Pakistan. It is located at the western end of Sandspit Beach, near Hawke's Bay Beach. Mauripur lies to its north. Kakapir is named for a saint, whose s ...
, and close to Karachi's main business district and several industrial areas. The geographic position of the port places it in close proximity to major shipping routes such as the
Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
. The administration of the port is carried out by the
Karachi Port Trust The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) ( ur, ) is a Pakistani federal government agency under the administrative control of the Federal Maritime Secretary that oversees the operations of the Port of Karachi, one of South Asia's largest and busiest de ...
, which was established in 1857.


History

The history of the port is intertwined with that of the city of Karachi. Several ancient ports have been attributed in the area including "Krokola", "Morontobara" (Woman's Harbour) (mentioned by Nearchus),
Barbarikon Barbarikon ( grc, Βαρβαρικόν) was the name of a sea port near the modern-day city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, important in the ancient era of the Indian subcontinent in Indian Ocean trade. The port is considered one of the premiere por ...
(the
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea The ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' ( grc, Περίπλους τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς Θαλάσσης, ', modern Greek '), also known by its Latin name as the , is a Greco-Roman periplus written in Koine Greek that describes navigation and ...
, and
Debal Debal (Urdu, Arabic, sd, ) was an ancient port located near modern Karachi, Pakistan. It is adjacent to the nearby Manora Island and was administered by Mansura, and later Thatta. Etymology In Arabic history books, most notably in the early ...
(a city captured by the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE). There is a reference to the early existence of the port of Karachi in the "
Umdah Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
", by the Arab navigator Sulaiman al Mahri (AD 1511), who mentions "
Ras al Karazi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
" and "
Ras Karashi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
" while describing a route along the coast from Pasni to Ras Karashi. Karachi is also mentioned in the sixteenth century Turkish treatise '' Mir'ât ül Memâlik'' by the Ottoman captain
Seydi Ali Reis Seydi Ali Reis (1498–1563), formerly also written Sidi Ali Reis and Sidi Ali Ben Hossein, was an Ottoman admiral and navigator. Known also as Katib-i Rumi, Galatalı or Sidi Ali Çelebi,Danışan, Gaye. 2019. “A Sixteenth-Century Otto ...
, who warns sailors about whirlpools and advises them to seek safety in "
Kaurashi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
" harbour if they found themselves drifting dangerously. In 1728 heavy rains silted up the harbour at
Kharak Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
, forcing merchants to relocate to the area of modern Karachi. In 1729, they built a new fortified town called
Kolachi Kolachi ( ur, کولاچی , link=no) may refer to * An old name for Karachi, Pakistan * Kolachi (port), a former port at Karachi, Pakistan * Kolachi, Dadu, a village in Mehar Tehsil, Dadu District, Pakistan * Kalachi, Kazakhstan, a rural ...
(also known as
Kalachi-jo-Kun Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the Geography of ...
and Kolachi-jo-Goth) on high ground north of Karachi bay, surrounded by a high mud and timber-reinforced wall with gun-mounted turrets and two gates. The gate facing the sea was called "
Kharadar Kharadar ( ur, کھارادر ) is a neighbourhood in District South of Karachi, Pakistan. Kharadar and the adjacent communities of Mithadar and Jodia Bazaar together form what is regarded as the original core of Karachi. Etymology ''Kharadar' ...
" (''salt gate''), and the gate facing the Lyari River was called "
Mithadar Mithadar ( ur, میٹھادر ) is one of the neighbourhoods of Saddar Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, and comprises the oldest part of Karachi that was once encircled by a wall. Mithadar and the adjacent community of Kharadar together form wha ...
" (''sweet gate''). From 1729 to 1783 the strategic location of Kolachi saw the town change hands several times between the
Khans Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
of Kalat and the rulers of Sind. In 1783, after two prolonged sieges the town fell to the Talpur Mirs of Sind, who constructed Manora Fort mounted with cannons on
Manora Manora may refer to: * Manora, Karachi, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora, Washim, a taluka in Washim district of Maharashtra, India * Manora Cantonment, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora Fort, Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan * Manora For ...
island at the harbour entrance. The British were concerned about Russian expansion towards the
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
, so in 1839 they occupied Karachi and later the whole of the Sindh. The port served as a landing point for troops during the
First Afghan War The First Anglo-Afghan War ( fa, جنگ اول افغان و انگلیس) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Afghanistan, Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking si ...
. A number of British companies opened offices and warehouses in Karachi and the population increased rapidly. By 1852, Karachi was an established city with a population of 14,000 and a prosperous overseas trade. The modern port began to take shape in 1854, when the main navigation channel was dredged and a mole or
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
was constructed to link the main harbour with the rest of the city. This was followed by construction of Manora breakwater, Keamari Groyne, the
Napier Mole Bridge Native Jetty Bridge, also known as Napier Mole Bridge, is a bridge located in Karachi, Sindh which connects the city with the Port of Karachi. It is one of the oldest bridges in Karachi. History The modern port started its operations in 1854 duri ...
and the
Native Jetty Bridge Native Jetty Bridge, also known as Napier Mole Bridge, is a bridge located in Karachi, Sindh which connects the city with the Port of Karachi. It is one of the oldest bridges in Karachi. History The modern port started its operations in 1854 duri ...
. The construction of the wharves started in 1882, and by 1914 the East Wharf and the Napier Mole Boat Wharf were complete while 1927 and 1944, the West Wharf, the lighterage berths and the ship-repair berths were constructed between 1927 and 1944. By 1899 Karachi was the largest wheat and cotton exporting port in South Asia. The period between 1856 and 1872 saw a marked increase in trade, especially during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
when cotton from Sindh replaced American cotton as a raw material in the British textile industry and the opening of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
in 1869. Karachi was an important military base during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–18) because it was the first
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
port of call for ships coming through the Suez Canal and was the gateway to Afghanistan and the Russian Empire. Karachi was again a military base and port for supplies to the Russian front during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
(1939–1945). In 1947,the British left the region and India and Pakistan were formed. In 1974, a bunch of terrorists seized a Greek ship and held the Greek crew for a number of hours. They wanted the Greek government to meet their demands. After this, the hostages were released and the terrorists fled the country.


Facilities

The port comprises a deep natural harbour with an 11 kilometre long approach channel which provides safe navigation for vessels up to . The main areas of port activity are two
wharves A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
; East Wharf with seventeen vessel berths and West Wharf with thirteen vessel berths. The maximum depth alongside the berths is currently 11.3 metres. The two wharves extend in opposite directions along the upper harbour – the East Wharf northeast from Kiamari Island and the West Wharf southwest from Saddar town. The two wharves each include a container terminal: *Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) opened in 1996 at West Wharf berths 28-30. It has a handling capacity of 300,000 TEUs per annum and handles container ships up to 11-metre draught. The total quay length is 600 metres divided into two container berths. The terminal is equipped with three Panamax cranes and one post-Panamax crane. *Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT) in 2002 at East Wharf berths 6-9. It has a handling capacity of 350,000 TEUs per annum and handles container ships up to 11.5-metre draught. The total quay length is 600 metres divided into two container berths. The terminal is equipped with two Panamax cranes. *KICT and PICT have a nearby competitor in the privately operated Al-Hamd International Container Terminal (AICT), which opened in 2001 at a site west of the Layari river. AICT is situated next to the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, the new truck stand at Hawkes Bay Road and close to the RCD Highway, Super Highway and the future Layari Bypass. There are also three liquid cargo-handling berths (oil piers), two ship repair jetties and a shipyard and engineering facility. The shipyard carries out shipbuilding and repair for both commercial and military customers on a 29-hectare (70 acres) site at the West Wharf. The facilities include a large shipbuilding hall, three shipbuilding berths, two dry-docks and three foundries.


Expansion

The flow of cargo to and from the port is hampered by severe congestion in the harbour with several other maritime facilities located close to the port. Adjacent to the West Wharf is the Karachi Fishing Harbour, which is administered separately from the port and is the base for a fleet of several thousand fishing vessels. The West Wharf also hosts a ship repair facility and shipyard and a naval dockyard at the tip of the wharf, while to the south of the port are the Karachi
Naval Base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that u ...
and the Kiamari
Boat Club A boat club is a sports club serving boat owners, particularly those interested in rowing and yachting, but also kayaking, canoeing, motor boats and other small boats. See also *Rowing club *Yacht club A yacht club is a sports club specif ...
. The Port of Karachi also faces competition from a new private terminal located 5 kilometres to the west. In recent years the federal government has attempted to alleviate the increased congestion by constructing a second port in Karachi thirty kilometres to the east at Port Qasim and a third major port at
Gwadar Gwadar ( Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 ...
, about 650 kilometres west of Karachi. The Karachi Fishing Harbour has been upgraded recently, and a second fishing harbour has been built 18 kilometres away at Korangi. The transfer of some naval vessels to the new naval base at Ormara has brought about further reductions in congestion. Further deepening of the port has been planned by the Karachi Port Trust in order to enhance facilities. The channel is being dredged initially to 13.5 metres deep to cater for 12-metre draught vessels at all tides. At ''Kiamari Groyne'', located at the outer tip of the harbour, dredging will be to 16.5 metres to enable vessels up to 300 metres long to dock. Other projects to expand the port include: *An increase the handling capacity of KICT from 300,000 TEUs to 400,000 TEUs per annum *Two new berths at KICT with 14 metres depth alongside and an additional 100,000 m² terminal/stacking area *Installation of modern facilities at PICT (completed in April 2004) *A new bulk
cargo terminal A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...
at East Wharf *Reconstruction of the oldest oil pier to allow tankers of to berth *A new cargo village to cater for containers and general and bulk cargo *Reconstruction of the 100-year-old NMB Wharf to enhance the berthing of passenger vessels *The purchase of a new dredger, two hopper barges, two harbour tugs, two water barges, an anchor hoist vessel, two pilot boats, and a dredger tender *A new
desalination plant Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in soil desalination, which is an issue for agriculture. Saltw ...
to address the city's water shortage problem *A high Port Tower for commercial and recreational use including a
revolving restaurant A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is usually a tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on ...
*The construction of a 500-acre (2 km²) Port Town with 13,000 homes for port workers at nearby Hawkes Bay *A new Port Club at
Chinna Creek Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
adjacent to the ''East Wharf'' On 9 November 2007, the Karachi Port Trust signed a US$1 billion agreement with
Hutchison Port Holdings Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH; ), trading as Hutchison Ports (), is a private holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. The port operator group is a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings (formerly Hutchison Whampoa). Some ...
to construct a new terminal called the "Pakistan Deep Water
Container Port A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...
", which would begin operations by 2010, and would have ten berths capable of handling Super Post Panamax container ships.


South Asia Pakistan Terminal

Since 2016, South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT) operates biggest deep sea port of the country. Hutchison Ports Pakistan invested $600m on the first phase of SAPT, he first phase include two berths having length of 800 metres. Hutchison Ports Pakistan, subsidiary of
Hutchison Port Holdings Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH; ), trading as Hutchison Ports (), is a private holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. The port operator group is a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings (formerly Hutchison Whampoa). Some ...
, which in turn subsidiary of
CK Hutchison Holdings CK Hutchison Holdings Limited is a Hong Kong-based and Cayman Islands-registered multinational conglomerate corporation. The company was formed in March 2015 through the merger of Cheung Kong Holdings and its main associate company Hutchison Wh ...
. Hutchison Ports Pakistan welcomed CV COSCO BELGIUM, with length over all of 366 meters and a capacity of 13,386 TEUs to ever call at any port of Pakistan, .


Environmental concerns

The area around the harbour includes several
mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fr ...
s which are constantly under threat from human activities. To the east of the port lies
Chinna Creek Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
, which covers about 6 km² and is dotted with mangrove islands. To the southwest of the port is another much larger mangrove forest in the bay formed by several islands and Manora breakwater; the river Layari flows into this bay, bringing waste from upstream suburbs. The beach immediately east of the harbour was the scene of a significant oil spillage when the Greek-registered
Tasman Spirit The ''Tasman Spirit'' was a Greek registered oil tanker. The tanker was launched in February 1979 and was formerly called the ''Mabini'' and ''Kenko''. ''Tasman Spirit'' oil spill On July 27, 2003, she ran aground near the city of Karachi whi ...
ran aground on 28 July 2003. The environmental impact included large numbers of dead fish and turtles and damage to a key mangrove forest, as well as dozens of people suffering nausea.


Labour relations

The Karachi Dock Labour Board (KDLB) is responsible for labour relations between employees and the Karachi Port Trust. In October 2006, the Pakistan government decided to close down Karachi Dock Labour Board by the end of the year as part of its port strategy and under the ''National Trade Corridor'' (NTC) programme. The closure of KDLB would cost around Rs 4.2 billion ($70 million) to the national exchequer.


See also

*
List of ports in Pakistan The following is a list of ports in Pakistan. All ports in Pakistan are maintained and governed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Government of Pakistan. List of ports See also * List of dry ports of Pakistan * List of fish harbours o ...
*
Pakistan Marine Academy Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) ( ur, ) is located at Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a Seafarers Training Academy, working under Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Government of Pakistan as an autonomous department. It is affiliated with N ...
*
Pakistan Merchant Navy The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is a Pakistani national flag carrier and is one of Government of Pakistan's most profitable state-owned entities, most recently having recorded its highest ever profit of PKR 5.6 billion under the ...
*
Gwadar port The Gwadar Port ( ur, ) is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan and is under the administrative control of the Maritime Secretary of Pakistan and operational control of the China Overseas Port Holding Com ...
*
Transport in Karachi The city of Karachi is a major transport hub of Pakistan. The Karachi Port of Karachi, port and Jinnah International Airport, airport are major gateways to Pakistan. The Karachi Railway stations transports the major part of Pakistan's trade with ot ...
*
Transport in Pakistan Transport in Pakistan ( ur, ) is extensive and varied, and serves a population of over 212.2 million people. In recent years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways which have improved trade and logistics within th ...
*
Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Pakistan) The Ministry of Maritime Affairs ( ur, ), previously known as the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, is a Federal Ministry of the Government of Pakistan. The current Minister for Maritime Affairs is Faisal Subzwari and the current Federal Secretar ...


References


External links

*
Report on the state and requirements of the Kurrachee harbour works (Karachi harbor works)
on GoogleBooks {{DEFAULTSORT:Karachi Economic history of Karachi Transport in Karachi Ports and harbours of Pakistan