Committee decides to divert Karachi’s cargo traffic

ISLAMABAD: The cabinet committee on transportation and logistics on Friday decided that one all containers coming in to the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) would be transferred to the bonded Pipri Marshalling Yard once it was completed.

The committee, chaired by Minister of Maritime Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, took this decision to reduce traffic congestion in Karachi.

It decided that custom clearance, including de-stuffing would be done at the bonded Pipri Marshalling Yard, which would greatly reduce the heavy traffic congestion of large vehicles on the roads of the metropolitan area.

Chopper Licensing Policy, KPT to Pipri Dedicated Freight Corridor, Q-Flex Vessels at Port Qasim Karachi, charges collected by ports on hydrocarbons and a new rail link from PBIT Terminal in Port Qasim were also discussed in detail.

Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati, Federal Minister for Civil Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Advisor on Commerce Razzaq Dawood, as well as chairmen of Port Qasim, KPT, PNSC, OGRA, secretaries and other important officials attended the meeting.

The minister further directed the attendees that the committee would follow up on the agendas in the upcoming meeting.

The government has also planned several terminals for freight services. On Tuesday, a freight train service was launched to link Karachi Port with the rest of the country.