| The Port of Karachi is the biggest city in Pakistan, located on the north shores of the Arabian Sea near the delta of the Indus River. The first capital of Pakistan, it is the country's economic and cultural hub and its largest seaport. The Port of Karachi has had many names - Caranjee, Krotchey, Crochey, and Kurrachee - all derived from the original settlement called Kalachi-Jo-goth. The ancient Greeks knew it as Krokola, where Alexander the Great prepared his fleet for Babylonia after his Indus valley campaign. The Arabs knew it as Debal, the place from which Muhammad bin Quasim's army embarked in 712 AD. Ottoman Admiral Sidi Ali Reis mentioned it in his book (The Mirror of Countries) in 1557 AD. Port History The Port of Karachi was a small fishing village in the early 18th Century when traders moved there. Its Manora Head protects the city from monsoons and provides a great site for protecting the harbor. In 1795, the Talpura amirs built a permanent fort on the Manora Head. The British captured the rapidly-growing Port of Karachi in 1839 and annexed it in 1842 when it became headquarters for their army. At that time, it also grew as a port for the region of the Indus River. Beginning in 1854, continual improvements were made to the Port of Karachi. A railway connected Karachi to Kotri. Telegraph communications linked the city to London and Pakistan's interior. When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, the Port of Karachi gained much importance, developing into a well-managed harbor by 1873. In 1886, the Karachi Port Trust was established to manage the port. The East Wharf, over 56 kilometers long, was constructed between 1888 and 1910. By 1914, it was the biggest port exporting grain for the British Empire. Manufacturing and service industries sprang up after World War I, and by 1924, Karachi was the main air entry to India. When Pakistan was created in 1947, the Port of Karachi was its capital, major seaport, and the country's center for industry, administration, and business. Population grew quickly with a flood of immigrants from the countryside, and the city's size doubled from 1980 to 2000. Urban shantytowns became prominent, and urban violence increased dramatically. Port Commerce A Board of Trustees, the Karachi Port Trust, administers the Port of Karachi. The Karachi International Container Terminal has capacity to handle 525 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo a year, and expansions are underway that will increase that to 700 thousand TEUs. Existing berths that are 973 meters long have a draft of 14-meters for container ships. The Port of Karachi's bulk cargo terminal handles three million tons of cargo a year, and plans are underway to expand its capacity as well with additional quays and over 21 hectares of terminal area. The Port of Karachi is installing the PAPCO White Oil Pipeline to service three oil berths. It is also upgrading to handle new and future generations of container ships by dredging for draft at the berths to 18 meters and an additional 3.75 kilometers of quay wall. To better serve ocean-going traffic, the Port of Karachi is creating a satellite facility for containers, general and bulk cargo, cargo processing, and customs operations. The Port of Karachi is adding a second container terminal with 600 meters of quay with 13.5-meter draft and capacity to handle 450 thousand TEUs. Cruising and Travel To add world-class recreational opportunities in the city, the Port of Karachi is also planning a 1947-foot Port Tower as a commercial, residential, and recreational center. The port is also developing a new Cruise Terminal at Manora Island that will handle the most modern cruise liners. To complement this, the port has established a Food Street at the Native's Jetty Bridge and plans to develop a port shopping distri |
