ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced that the dredging of the Karachi Port Trust main channel by Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited, which began on Wednesday, will represent a significant upgrade to maritime infrastructure.
In a statement, the minister said that the work follows a formal agreement between KPT and KGTL to enhance navigational capacity and meet rising demands from international shipping.
"This initiative underscores the government's commitment to modernizing port facilities and bolstering Pakistan's role in regional and global trade. Upon completion within three months, the project will enable KPT to accommodate vessels up to 350 meters in length with a gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 100,000," the minister said.
"This will boost port efficiency by handling higher-capacity ships, reducing congestion, and shortening turnaround times."
The dredging will deepen the upper and lower harbour channels to 14 meters for safer navigation, while 14 berths will be raised to 15.5 meters to accommodate larger ships and expand cargo-handling capacity.
The minister said that the project will drive higher trade volumes, slash shipping costs, streamline logistics, and fuel national economic growth.
