Zulfikarabad oil tankers terminal inaugurated — finally

The Zulfikarabad oil terminal was finally inaugurated by Karachi’s mayor on Thursday, kicking off a process that would lead to the shifting of oil tankers from Clifton’s Shireen Jinnah Colony to the parking facility on the outskirts of the city.

The terminal spans over 200 acres and has a parking capacity for 3,200 oil tankers. It has a service area of 30 acres, which can cater to 10,000 people and all civic facilities, including eateries, banks and mechanic shops. 

The much-awaited inauguration came a week after the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry ordered the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to make the terminal operational by July 27.

Addressing the ceremony, Mayor Waseem Akhtar thanked Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for extending monetary cooperation by approving a summary. 

He also thanked the apex court, saying that it was because of the court’s orders that they were able to complete the 200-acre oil terminal, which would be expanded over another 200 acres.

Akhtar stated that the project was completed despite the lot of hurdles created by different departments, some legal complications and limited financial resources. He said the terminal had the parking capacity for 3,200 oil tankers and all facilities had been provided for drivers. The terminal would have a police kiosk and 140 toilets, he said.

“We will not do any wrong thing nor will we allow anyone to do anything wrong. The people of Karachi fully understand the problems of the city.” The mayor hoped that the problems of the metropolis would be resolved jointly. A 36 feet wide road good enough for the plying of tankers carrying up to 60,000 gallons of water has been constructed along the terminal. The horticulture department of the KMC has been advised to grow trees around the parking facility. 

The managing director of Pakistan State Oil, who also attended the inaugural ceremony, said the parking facility should be named Waseem Akhtar Oil Terminal “as this is the result of his efforts”.

The mayor said that with the completion of the terminal, there would be a smooth flow of traffic in the city. He said his team had proved that any task could be achieved with day-and-night efforts.

“We have made this oil tankers’ terminal functional and now it is the responsibility of oil tankers’ owners to let it run in a proper manner.” The apex court had issued the July 20 order on a petition filed by Shugafta Bibi, a resident of Clifton’s Block-1, imploring the court to order the shifting of the ad-hoc oil tankers’ terminal from Shireen Jinnah Colony.  The woman had initially sent a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan, who later converted it into a constitutional petition.