Ports, Aug. 1 -- They act as the interface between the sea and the land. All the trade via sea eventually comes to the ports. Countries with coastlines, especially in important locations, are considered blessed, Pakistan being one of them. Three important cargo types in the functioning of Ports are domestic cargo, transit cargo, and transhipment cargo.

The generation of domestic cargo serves as a base load for port operations. An integrated trade and industrial hub built close to the port boosts it. Examples include Jebel Ali Free Zone for Dubai port and Khalifa Port Free Zone (KIZAD) for Abu Dhabi ports. In our own case, Karachi has a huge industrial and trade base for KPT and PQA. PQA itself has a huge industrial complex of its own. We...