Congestion crisis at Port Qasim: Minister announces ‘first come, first served’ policy

KARACHI: Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has stepped in to address the mounting congestion crisis at Port Qasim, chairing a high-level emergency meeting focused on operational bottlenecks that are threatening the country’s trade flow.

The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), port authorities, and the Cement Exporters Association addressed the congestion issue at Port Qasim that disrupted normal operations.

During meeting it was informed that the sluggish unloading of sugar shipments has created a backlog of vessels waiting to berth.

Govt moves to ease Port Qasim congestion with new unloading, berthing measures

Minister Chaudhry issued directives that sugar unloading must reach 4,500 tons per day - matching the port’s actual capacity - to clear the mounting pressure on facilities. In order to distribute the cargo load, the government is now considering diverting 60 percent of sugar imports to Gwadar Port, following directives from the Prime Minister’s Office to provide much-needed relief to the overburdened Port Qasim while boosting operations at the strategically important Gwadar facility.

The Minister announced that a “first come, first served” policy will be strictly enforced for ship berthing to ensure transparency and efficiency. He also mandated that all agencies must keep the Maritime Affairs Ministry informed about cargo schedules in real-time.

“Better performance at our ports can be achieved through effective communication and discipline,” Chaudhry said, signalling a no-nonsense approach to resolving the operational challenges that have been hampering Pakistan’s maritime trade gateway.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025