Direct container service from Karachi port to Europe launched

KARACHI (APP) - The United Marine Agencies (UMA) has announced the launch of a direct, fast container service to and from Karachi port to Europe.

A ceremony to this effect was held under the auspices of the UMA at a local hotel on Saturday night. The Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Vice-Admiral Ahmed Hayat was the chief guest on the occasion.

In his speech, he congratulated Hamburg Sud and the consortium for bringing in six vessel on this route. He was also happy that the German firm has started looking Eastward including Pakistan. Admiral Ahmed assured that the KPT as well as the Port Qasim would extend every possible facility. " That is our job. We are service provider and facilitator", he remarked adding that it would be a pleasure to see new lines coming in.

Admiral Ahmed further pointed out that the KPT is trying to change the culture in which it does the business.

He said that this is being vindicated by the fact that the new lines are looking towards Karachi. The Chief Executive Officer of the UMA, Sohail Shams, said that his organization took the significant step after realizing the growing need of a direct and fast container service to and from karachi Port to Europe to fulfil a decade-long demand of the traders from both Pakistan and Europe.

He was of the view that the re-structured new EPIC service of Hamburg Sud from Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) would not only facilitate the Pak-Europe trade but also provide an opportunity to boost a cost-effective sea transportation from Pakistan. Sohail pointed out that the main features of this service would include a direct-Karachi-Europe connection linking North Europe and the Mediterranean with karachi in the shortest transit time. He said that since Europe is a highly potential market for Pakistani value added commodities like textiles, garments, hosiery, towels, bed sheets, fabrics etc, a timely delivery of goods to the European destinations is of vital importance.

The Consul General of Germany in Karachi, Hans-Joachim Kinderien, also expressed his views on the occasion.