Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi has refused media reports that port operations at Port Qasim Authority (PQA) regarding berthing of petroleum ships have ceased and PQA has refused to allow the ships to berth.

“PQA operation is running smoothly,” said Zaidi in a tweet post. “Someone trying to make quick money by creating confusion. The state will get to the bottom of this & the perpetrators will be strictly dealt with as per law,” he added.

The minister further said that his ministry has directed PQA to write to PEMRA against the private channel.

The port operations are being run smoothly and without a hindrance, said the ministry in a statement. “Last month, 14 large size cargoes of petroleum products were handled at PQA and the same number of cargoes are expected to handled this month,” said the ministry.

Moreover, from 1st July 2020 till to date 1.2 million tons of petroleum products have been handled, it informed. “Port Qasim Authority is running the port operations efficiently even in the times of severe COVID-19 wave, whereby many regional ports are struggling, but PQA handled a record number of ships ensuring the continued supply of essential items to the hinterland- keeping the supply chain intact,” it read.