The government announced the construction of a six-lane bridge connecting east and west piers in Karachi port. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 2.3 billion. The Karachi seaport is the major transport hub of Pakistan; thousands of tons of cargo get in and out of the country and generate a big industrial cycle. It carries 95% of external trade and transit of goods to and from Afghanistan. The port is considered an economic centre of Pakistan, dealing around sixty percent of the nation’s cargo.
Blue economy matters most to Pakistan as its maritime sector promotes sustainable growth and development. Blue/Marine economy is related to ocean-related economic activities such as fisheries, tourism, and maritime transport. This transport is the single largest component of Pakistan’s existing blue economy and generates annual revenue of more than Rs 20 billion. It is the foundation for Pakistan’s national economy, where 100% of oil and coal imports are transported via sea route.
Despite so much importance, Karachi port lacks proper infrastructure and is facing problems in the movement of import and export cargo at the port results in undue delay in foreign shipments. A Delay in the clearance of cargo trade affects the growth rate of exports, causing a trade deficit and a decrease in foreign exchange reserves. According to a 2019 report of the World Economic Forum, Pakistan was ranked 70th in terms of quality of port infrastructure, far behind Egypt (38th), Turkey (48th), China (49th) and India (51st). Considering the importance of the maritime sector, Pakistan should take more developmental steps to improve the quality of infrastructure of seaports.
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