Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Tuesday announced the launch of standardized bunkering operations at Karachi Port for the first time in Pakistan\u2019s history.
\n\u201cThe move brings Pakistan\u2019s largest port in line with global maritime safety and operational standards, a step long viewed as essential for improving the country\u2019s standing in the regional shipping market\u201d, the federal minister added in a statement.
\nBunkering is the fueling of ships for propulsion and onboard use, involving the storage, transfer, and management of marine fuels like oil and gas. Proper bunkering ensures safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant refueling, enabling smooth maritime transport and global shipping operations.
\nJunaid Chaudhry said the initiative was launched on the instructions of the Prime Minister, who has called for accelerated modernization of port services and a broader upgrade of Pakistan\u2019s maritime infrastructure.
\nHe said the introduction of regulated bunkering would remove a long-standing gap in Karachi Port\u2019s service offering, enabling it to compete more effectively with established bunkering hubs in the region and the wider area.
\nThe minister said the availability of safe, reliable and efficiently managed bunkering facilities is expected to draw more international shipping lines to Karachi, particularly operators seeking streamlined port calls and predictable service standards.<\/p>\n
He said increased vessel traffic would translate into higher foreign-exchange earnings through port fees, marine services, and ancillary commercial activity such as repairs, supplies and maritime logistics. The expected increase in port operations is also projected to stimulate employment across multiple layers of the maritime economy.
\nJunaid Chaudhry added that the new service would enhance Pakistan\u2019s visibility in the international maritime market by demonstrating the country\u2019s commitment to modern, environmentally responsible and globally competitive port management.
\nHe said compliance with international standards covering fuel quality, safety procedures, documentation and transparency, was essential for building confidence among shipowners and international trading companies.
\nThe minister said the first phase of operations would begin in collaboration with one of the world\u2019s leading energy trading houses, which will conduct bunkering at Karachi Port using internationally certified practices.
\nHe said the venture is expected to expand as domestic refineries supply larger quantities of refined fuel meeting global specifications, a development he described as a direct benefit to the national exchequer.
\nMinister Junaid Chaudhry noted that Karachi Port Trust had assessed existing bunkering practices, reviewed global procedures, drafted new documentation and engaged stakeholders to bring the service online.
\nHe said the milestone reinforces KPT\u2019s ambition to operate as a leading regional hub and signals the government\u2019s intention to continue expanding port capabilities in line with international benchmarks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Tuesday announced the launch of standardized bunkering operations at Karachi Port for the first time in Pakistan\u2019s history. \u201cThe move brings Pakistan\u2019s largest port in line with global maritime safety and operational standards, a step long viewed as essential for improving the country\u2019s standing in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":83338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89743"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89753,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89743\/revisions\/89753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}