6th SEPTEMBER DEFENCE DAY: A TRIBUTE OF NATIONAL DEFENCE KARACHI PORT & THE DEFENCE OF PAKISTAN ECONOMIC SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY

When we speak of the defence of Pakistan, our thoughts naturally turn to the armed forces, borders, fighter aircraft, warships and strategic deterrence. Yet national security has another equally important dimension that is economic security. For a country whose economy depends heavily on international trade, imported energy, machinery and raw materials, the uninterrupted functioning of its maritime gateways is not merely an economic necessity—it is a national security imperative. At the heart of this equation stands Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

A port is much more than a place where ships load and unload cargo. It is the point where a country’s domestic economy connects with the global economy. Fuel, machinery, industrial raw materials, food and essential commodities enter through ports, while exports leave for international markets. When a port functions efficiently, factories operate, energy flows, exports move, employment is sustained and foreign exchange is generated. When a major port is disrupted, the effects can quickly spread across the national economy. For Pakistan, this dependence is particularly significant, with more than 90 percent of trade by volume moving through seaports. The sea is therefore not simply a trading route; it is one of Pakistan’s principal economic lifeline.

The importance of Karachi Port was understood by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the very birth of Pakistan. The Quaid recognized Karachi not only as the country’s first capital but also as a naturally endowed port city with enormous potential for national economic development. He understood that for a maritime country, ports are gateways to international markets and powerful engines of economic growth. It was in this context that he described Karachi Port as the “Gateway to Pakistan.” The phrase was more than a ceremonial description. It reflected a strategic vision of a port through which trade, energy, machinery and investment would enter Pakistan, while the country’s products would reach the world.

Quaid-e-Azam actions following independence further demonstrated the priority he attached to the Port. Among the earliest important appointments of the new state was that of Mr. Mian Aminuddin as Chairman, Karachi Port Trust, an eminent, senior most civil servant and regarded amongst the finest available to Pakistan at the time. The appointment, made at the highest level of the new state, reflected the importance attached to Karachi Port in Pakistan’s economic architecture. The message was clear: the country’s economic future was closely linked with the development and effective functioning of its principal maritime gateway.

Karachi Port Trust was established in 1887, and Karachi had already developed into a significant trading harbour by the time Pakistan came into being. After independence, however, the KPT acquired an entirely new significance. For decades it was Pakistan’s principal commercial harbour through which the young country received fuel, food, machinery, industrial inputs and defence supplies, while its exports moved to international markets. In those formative years, Karachi Port was doing more than handling cargo. It was helping build Pakistan and its importance was also never confined to commerce. Karachi Port has historically supported maritime defence and naval operations. Historically, during the First World War, KPT Head Office Building was converted into a military hospital from 1916-1919. Following independence, KPT supported Pakistan Navy through dedicated berths and associated facilities. Similarly, facilities at and around Manora island also contributed to naval training and repair, while Mules Mansion built on KPT land by Mr Rustom Fakirjee Cowasjee served as the first headquarters of the Royal Pakistan Navy. Since 1947, Karachi Port has been hosting foreign men-of-war during their visits to Pakistan, reflecting its role as a harbour of strategic and diplomatic significance. Thus, from the beginning, the economic and defence dimensions of KPT were closely intertwined.

Pakistan’s own history demonstrates the strategic importance of protecting its maritime infrastructure. During the 1965 war, defence of Karachi and its maritime approaches was an important consideration for Pakistan Navy. The perceived threat posed by radar and radio-beacon facilities at Dwarka to Karachi contributed to the decision to undertake naval action against the facility. The lesson became even more evident during the 1971 war. Attacks on the Keamari oil installations disrupted a critical component of Pakistan’s petroleum and logistics infrastructure. The strategic lesson was unmistakable: economic infrastructure can resonate strategic significance during conflict. Ports, oil installations, logistics centres, railways and industrial facilities may serve civilian purposes in peacetime, but their uninterrupted functioning can become vital to national survival during a crisis.

Pakistan subsequently diversified its maritime infrastructure. Port Qasim became an important second commercial gateway, while greater attention was given to the Makran coast and Gwadar. This diversification is strategically desirable because a resilient nation should have multiple maritime gateways and alternative supply routes. Needless to mention that location of Karachi Port adjacent to Pakistan’s largest industrial and commercial centre, combined with its established terminals, shipping connections, transport infrastructure and logistics ecosystem, gives it a significance that cannot easily be replicated. Karachi Port, Port Qasim and Gwadar should therefore be viewed not as competitors but as complementary components of one national maritime eco system.

The scale of Karachi Port’s contribution is reflected in its recent all times record breaking performance. During FY 2025-26, Karachi Port handled 56 million tonnes of cargo, around 2.75 million TEUs / Containers and handled 2,115 vessels. While improving cargo handling, KPT also improved its Container Port Performance Index (CPPI by World Bank) from 99th position to 69th, similarly Karachi Port now occupies 34th position in Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) which is appreciable indicator of increasing maritime economic activity. But these are not merely port statistics as every vessel represents economic activity. A tanker may be carrying fuel for the national economy; bulk carrier may be bringing raw material for industry; container ship may be carrying machinery for a factory or Pakistani exports to an international market. Behind every tonne of cargo are factories, workers, businesses, consumers and foreign exchange. Last few years in maritime domain are being defined as era of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) and ongoing geopolitical developments have reinforced this reality. The disruption surrounding the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated how quickly instability in a strategically important maritime corridor can affect energy supplies, shipping and global supply chains. For Pakistan, this is both a challenge and opportunity. It is a challenge that the country must strengthen strategic reserves, diversify supply chains and ensure that its ports and logistics networks can absorb external shocks. It is also an opportunity wherein Pakistan’s geographical position allows its maritime gateways, particularly KPT, to play a larger role when established trade routes are disrupted.

Arrival of ultra large vessels, increased transshipment activity at KPT and changing shipping patterns during the Hormuz-related crisis highlighted the strategic importance of Karachi Port’s geographical position and operational readiness. The lesson is clear: Pakistan must continue to expand its maritime infrastructure not merely for today’s trade, but for tomorrow’s uncertainties. Although Modern terminals, improved berths and dredged navigation channels enabled KPT to handle bigger vessels, but true resilience also requires efficient connectivity and associated eco system. Ongoing construction projects of KPT- PIPRI Dedicated Freight Rail Corridor and road connecting KPT with Malir Expressway will not only improve cargo movement exponentially but also reduce road congestion, reduced cost of business and provide alternate logistics corridors.

There is another dimension of port security that is often overlooked: the Land Bank. A port’s future expansion requires land for new terminals, warehouses, logistics facilities, roads, railways and other strategic infrastructure. When port’s land is illegally occupied, the country loses not merely property but future economic options. Recognizing this strategic dimension, Anti-Encroachment Committee was constituted under the umbrella of the Prime Minister’s Maritime Task Force. Through KPT and other stakeholders’ consistent operations, approximately 250 acres of strategically important land worth approx. Rs. 170 billion have been recovered from illegal occupation. The importance of this achievement goes beyond the acreage itself. Recovered land has not only been secured against re-encroachment but brought into productive use for port expansion, logistics centers, connectivity, industrial use and other associated requirements. The anti-encroachment drive is therefore not simply an enforcement exercise, it is an investment in Pakistan’s future maritime capacity building.

The transformation of Karachi Port is taking place alongside the wider reforms in Pakistan’s maritime sector. In this context, formulation of the Prime Minister’s Maritime Task Force represents an important policy initiative towards adopting a coordinated, whole of the government approach to strengthen Pakistan’s Blue Economy as a whole. This Task force comprehensively identified and addressed institutional and regulatory constraints for unlocking the country’s true maritime potential. The significance of these reforms lies in their integrated approach as Ports cannot function in isolation, these must connect efficiently with railways, roads, customs, industry, shipping and national economic planning.

It is encouraging that under the dynamic leadership of Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and focused pursuance of Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhury; Pakistan maritime sector is now being considered and promoted as one integrated national maritime ecosystem. As part of PM Task Force recommendations and with the concerted efforts of its business partners like Noatum Ports (Ex AD Ports), Hutchison Ports and others stakeholders, KPT is being developed as transshipment hub, logistics center, industrial enabler, trade facilitator and strategic national asset. In the last one-year KPT and its Terminal Operators have expended more than Rs. 40 billions on various development projects encompassing mega dredging, development of warehouses, construction of Silos, upgradation of maritime infrastructure, induction of latest cranes, E-vehicles, associated smart technologies and HR training. Port development is conforming to 5th generation smart port standards while integrating modern terminals, digitalization, efficient customs procedures, multimodal architect, competitive tariffs, bunkering hub, adoption of environment friendly practices etc. These measures are aimed to transform KPT as preferred destination and capable of attracting global shipping and logistics players. Most importantly, KPT persistent efforts must be viewed through the lens of national resilience wherein port must continue operating during any crisis and protects the economy in befitting manner.

The history of KPT - from its establishment in 1887, through the birth of Pakistan, wars of 1965 and 1971, Marka-e-Haq, current era of maritime reforms and global supply-chain uncertainty—reveal one consistent truth: Pakistan’s economic security and national security are inseparable from the resilience of its maritime gateways. Military strength protects territorial sovereignty, economic strength sustains national power and efficient ports connect that economy to the world. Karachi Port has served the nation for nearly 140 years and transformed itself from 1st generation port to its present modern status. It helped sustain the country when it was born, supported it through wars and crises and continues to serve as one of its principal gateways to the world. Quaid-e-Azam called Karachi Port as the “Gateway to Pakistan”, thereby our responsibility is to ensure that this Gateway remains open, secure, strong and that through it flows not only the Pakistan’s commerce, but it also emanates strength and prosperity of the nation across the globe.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026