Govt finalising master plan for five new terminals at Port Qasim

[Shahzaz ud din]

Govt finalising master plan for five new terminals at Port Qasim


ByAhmad Ahmadani

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ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is finalising the master plan for the establishment of five terminals on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis to enhance container handling capacity at Port Qasim.
According to sources, the ministry would present the master plan before the Cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for final approval as early as possible.
Sources said that the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) was in the process of appointing consultants for preparation of the master plan in order to incorporate changes made in the master plan since 2001 as well as future planning.”Firms have been shortlisted and cases were being presented to the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) of the PQA board in this regard.”
The PQA’s board had already approved the resolution to include the five new terminals in the existing master plan.
Earlier on December 24, 2020, the ECC of the Cabinet on had approved the proposed amendments in Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Master Plan under Section 10 and 11 of PQA Act, 1973 for establishing five new terminals, including two multipurpose cargo terminals and one integrated container terminal on BOT basis.
It is pertinent to mention here that Section 10 and 11 of PQA Act, 1973, provides that PQA shall prepare a master plan and phased master programme for the development of the port area whereas documents for the two shall be submitted to the federal government for final approval.
The PQA master plan was originally prepared by state-owned National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) for a period up to 2000 with the assistance of Swan Wooster Engineering Canada in 1975.

 

[FuturePAF]

Considering the size of the population in Karachi, a roadmap of what reforms and investments are needed to make Karachi’s manufacturing sector globally competitive again needs to be identified.

It’s far cheaper to bring labor into the city, or employ labor that already lives in the city then to build SEZ deep inside Pakistan, and then spend the added cost to transport by rail or truck to Karachi or Gwadar.

Karachi needs to be rehabilitated

 

[airmarshal]

Considering the size of the population in Karachi, a roadmap of what reforms and investments are needed to make Karachi’s manufacturing sector globally competitive again needs to be identified.

It’s far cheaper to bring labor into the city, or employ labor that already lives in the city then to build SEZ deep inside Pakistan, and then spend the added cost to transport by rail or truck to Karachi or Gwadar.

Karachi needs to be rehabilitated

But for that Bhutto needs to b killed and thuggish PPP be sent packing. Otherwise, Karachi will not realize its potential.

 

[FuturePAF]

But for that Bhutto needs to b killed and thuggish PPP be sent packing. Otherwise, Karachi will not realize its potential.

We have to stop thinking in those terms; killing the opponent. It just breeds a more committed opposition that thinks there are no terms under which they can repent.

A more capable opposition to the current party in control needs to find avenues to win over support and keep it that way.

but you are right, that if the status quo continues, Karachi can not realize its true potential.

Perhaps, showing the Karachi business class that they will lose FDI investment to Gwadar if they don’t straighten out the political class in their city, maybe a better option.

Also PTI came in as a third party and broke the duopoly of PMLN and PPP that has ruled the country for a generation. If Local PTI party can show that they can bring real change, when not even in office, the people may vote them in so they can do more when in office.

 

[Nasr]

Considering the size of the population in Karachi, a roadmap of what reforms and investments are needed to make Karachi’s manufacturing sector globally competitive again needs to be identified.

It’s far cheaper to bring labor into the city, or employ labor that already lives in the city then to build SEZ deep inside Pakistan, and then spend the added cost to transport by rail or truck to Karachi or Gwadar.

Karachi needs to be rehabilitated

In my opinion, and I can be wrong, but I believe Pakistan ought to be looking at building a port city or two, that rivals Karachi and is not in the Sindh province. All port cities of Pakistan ought be federalized, in order to cut off the snake's head whereby the utterly Jahil, backward, feudal sindhi madoo wadayra culture is wiped out. Cut off their entitlements, by cutting off their access to the major port cities of Pakistan.

Populate Gwadar with the new entrepreneurs that can build Gwadar to surpass Karachi. Put in place mechanism which filters out all pathetic land-grab mafias, land in Gwadar or other new port cities would be available only on a qualification basis of business progress. One business would be prohibited from buying up more land, or taking up more of their quota on the port. Audit must be carried out by State Institution, not under direct control of any provincial govt, only federal.

Karachi needs to be depopulated in order to reorganize it. Depopulated Karachi'ites must be given incentives to establish roots in other cities of Pakistan. Preferably in Baluchistan. The mechanism of such an operation ought to be a step by step process. Business incentives should be given to both Baluchis and Karachi'ites to work together to build industries which are both environmentally sound and consistently generating revenue.

Govt and the People must work together to first break the feudal strangle hold and then wipe them out of existence.

 

[FuturePAF]

In my opinion, and I can be wrong, but I believe Pakistan ought to be looking at building a port city or two, that rivals Karachi and is not in the Sindh province. All port cities of Pakistan ought be federalized, in order to cut off the snake's head whereby the utterly Jahil, backward, feudal sindhi madoo wadayra culture is wiped out. Cut off their entitlements, by cutting off their access to the major port cities of Pakistan.

Populate Gwadar with the new entrepreneurs that can build Gwadar to surpass Karachi. Put in place mechanism which filters out all pathetic land-grab mafias, land in Gwadar or other new port cities would be available only on a qualification basis of business progress. One business would be prohibited from buying up more land, or taking up more of their quota on the port. Audit must be carried out by State Institution, not under direct control of any provincial govt, only federal.

Karachi needs to be depopulated in order to reorganize it. Depopulated Karachi'ites must be given incentives to establish roots in other cities of Pakistan. Preferably in Baluchistan. The mechanism of such an operation ought to be a step by step process. Business incentives should be given to both Baluchis and Karachi'ites to work together to build industries which are both environmentally sound and consistently generating revenue.

Govt and the People must work together to first break the feudal strangle hold and then wipe them out of existence.

There are millions in Karachi, that want their city to work. “Their city”. Karachi has a history, and those people will fight for it, if given the right pull and push incentives. The people need to advocate for their own “emancipation” from provincial rule. But this can’t be a smaller form of the provincial government. City government needs a new set of laws, that enshrines the limits on government power as well as the responsibilities.

Any plan that forcibly moves people, ignoring the massive investment people have made themselves into their entire lives in Karachi, is bound to fail.

Once you have a new level of government set up as a precedent in one city, the idea will be adopted by all cities. The city “charter” of each city will allow the cities to compete for investment and root out corruption themselves. This is, from my limited understanding of Germany history, why they were able to modernize so quickly; Institutions that encouraged good governance and competition.

With a robust economy in Karachi and the city government of Karachi taking in the revenue, they will draw in workers and political talent away from feudal controlled areas. One day those political leaders will go back home and show up those feudals, offering the people a different option, if they vote for their interests and not with their feudals.

You are right about one thing. Federal oversight. Any election rigging, any financial corruption that can be caught, and any major crimes that can lead to a prosecution and conviction should be presued to the fullest.

In New York there was a political leader called “Boss” Tweed. He was so corrupt and seemed So unstoppable until the tables were turned on him. He too started out as a man of the people but went down the path of corruption hard. We need to look at what has worked in the past to remove the system these people have put in place. It may take years, and the natural death of bad leaders, but removing the system they put in place should be the real goal if we are to make lasting change.

 

[Thorough Pro]

More than Bhutto and PPP the credit for raping Karachi goes to the so-called champions of the city aka MQM

But for that Bhutto needs to b killed and thuggish PPP be sent packing. Otherwise, Karachi will not realize its potential.