KARACHI: Pakistani authorities said on Sunday they are waiting for salvage tugs to arrive and immediately start a rescue operation for a giant cargo ship stuck off the coast of Karachi as oil leakage is feared.
The MV Heng Tong 77, a cargo ship with a capacity of 3,600 dead weight tonnage, was on the way from Shanghai to Turkey, as it anchored in Pakistan’s territorial waters for a crew change. According to the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), it lost its anchors due to extreme weather and started drifting toward shallow waters in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
While the maritime affairs ministry started an inquiry into the incident, the ship stuck at Karachi’s Seaview beach. The KTP's pollution control team on Sunday sealed off a part of the beach as the vessel is carrying 118 tons of bunker fuel.
"We hope to start operation as soon as the rescue tugs arrive. It may start today (Sunday) or sometime tomorrow," Shariq Amin, KPT spokesman told Arab News. "At the moment groundwork is underway to thwart any untoward incident of oil leakage."
KPT Marine Pollution Control Rapid Response team is monitoring the site non-stop, he said, adding that the Panama-flagged vessel's owner has sent an expert from China to help with the rescue operation, which must correspond tide timings.
While there are no signs of leakage from the vessel, the Pakistan Navy said on Saturday it had been acting under a pollution contingency plan.
“Commander Coast has been nominated as On Scene Commander (OSC) to supervise the on-site preparations to contain risk of pollution in coordination with PMSA (Pakistan Maritime Security Agency) and KPT," the navy said in a statement.
"Anti-pollution barrier has been deployed by KPT around the grounded ship and other response elements are being mustered in vicinity. MV Heng Tong 77 is carrying 118 tons of bunker fuel which is a source of immediate concern."
Pakistan waiting for rescue tugs as leakage feared from giant ship stuck off Karachi
https://arab.news/mc49w
Pakistan waiting for rescue tugs as leakage feared from giant ship stuck off Karachi
- Vessel lost anchors due to extreme weather and drifted towards shallow water on Wednesday morning
- MV Heng Tong 77 in is carrying 118 tons of bunker fuel which authorities say is a source of immediate concern
Pakistan remittances seen surpassing $40 billion in FY26 as Saudi Arabia leads November inflows
- The country’s November remittances rose 9.4 percent year-on-year to $3.2 billion, official data show
- Economic experts say rupee stability and higher use of formal channels are driving the upward trend
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s workers’ remittances are expected to exceed the $40 billion mark in the current fiscal year, economic experts said Tuesday, after the country recorded an inflow of $3.2 billion in November, with Saudi Arabia once again emerging as the biggest contributor.
Remittances are a key pillar of Pakistan’s external finances, providing hard currency that supports household consumption, helps narrow the current-account gap and bolsters foreign-exchange reserves. The steady pipeline from Gulf economies, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has remained crucial for Pakistan’s balance of payments.
A government statement said monthly remittances in November stood at $3.2 billion, reflecting a 9.4 percent year-on-year increase.
“The growth in remittances means the full-year figure is expected to cross the $40 billion target in fiscal year 2026,” Sana Tawfik, head of research at Arif Habib Limited, told Arab News over the phone.
“There are a couple of factors behind the rise in remittances,” she said. “One of them is the stability of the rupee. In addition, the country is receiving more inflows through formal channels.”
Tawfik said the trend was positive for the current account and expected inflows to remain strong in the second half of the fiscal year, noting that both Muslim festivals of Eid fall in that period, when overseas Pakistanis traditionally send additional money home for family expenses and celebrations.
The official statement said cumulative remittances reached $16.1 billion during July–November, up 9.3 percent from $14.8 billion in the same period last year.
It added that November inflows were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia ($753 million), the United Arab Emirates ($675 million), the United Kingdom ($481.1 million) and the United States ($277.1 million).
“UAE remittances have regained momentum in recent months, with their share at 21 percent in November 2025 from a low of 18 percent in FY24,” said Muhammad Waqas Ghani, head of research at JS Global Capital Limited. “Dubai in particular has seen a steady pick-up, reflecting improved inflows from Pakistani expatriates owing to some relaxation in emigration policies.”
