KARACHI: Protesting fishermen blockaded Karachi port, assembling their trawlers across the main channel to halt all traffic in and out of Pakistan's busiest port, officials said on Wednesday.
Karachi is the most important port in the country for movement of commodities and vehicles, and the disruption prompted the city's business chamber to raise its concern that some vessels could turn away to avoid the costs of delay.
The fishermen from Sindh province were protesting restrictions on them entering the waters off neighboring Balochistan province.
“I hope talks to resolve the issue will resume on Wednesday afternoon,” Mahmood Maulvi, advisor to the Prime Minister Imran Khan on Maritime Affairs, told Reuters.
An earlier round of talks failed on Tuesday.
Port Qasim, which handles most container traffic and lies to the east of Karachi, was functioning normally, but the business community in Pakistan's economic hub were worried that shipping companies would seek to avoid a port backed up with vessels waiting to be handled.
"If this continues there are fears that some ships might return to the high seas," Muhammad Idress, president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said in a statement.
"This causes huge losses to the economy and business community," he added.
There were mass protests by fishermen and ordinary people in the Baluchistan port city of Gwadar in December, to press demands for authorities to take action against illegal trawling by Chinese commercial fishing trawlers, and vessels from Sindh.
They were also protesting over a lack of basic facilities like power and water, and the restrictions on their movement and access to the sea resulting from the high level of security for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that runs through the province.
To end the month-long protest, the provincial government agreed to most of the demands.
The fisheries department, coast guard and Maritime Security Agency are carrying out joint patrols to stop trawlers from Sindh coming into Balochistan waters.
Authorities in Balochistan detained around half a dozen fishing trawlers from Sindh last week, Tariq-ur-Rehman, Director General Balochistan Fisheries department said.
It was unclear what action was being taken to prevent Chinese fishing vessels for entering.
Protesting Pakistani fishermen block Karachi port
https://arab.news/44k8w
Protesting Pakistani fishermen block Karachi port
- Fishermen from Sindh province were protesting restrictions on them entering the waters off neighboring Balochistan province
- There were mass protests by fishermen and ordinary people in the Baluchistan port city of Gwadar in December last year
Pakistan to promote mineral sector at Saudi forum this month with 13 companies
- Delegation will take part in the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh from Jan. 13-15
- Petroleum minister will lead Pakistan, participate in a 90-minute country session
ISLAMABAD: Around 13 Pakistani state-owned and private companies will attend the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 13 to 15, an official statement said on Friday, as the country seeks to ramp up global engagement to develop its mineral resources.
The FMF is an international conference and investment platform for the mining sector, hosted by mineral-rich countries to attract global investors, companies and governments.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed Pakistan’s participation in a meeting with the Saudi envoy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.
Pakistan hosts one of the world’s largest copper-gold zones. The Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan, with an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore, is partly owned by Barrick Gold, which calls it one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold deposits. Its development is expected to boost Pakistan’s struggling economy.
“Upon an invitation of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Federal Minister informed the Ambassador that Pakistan will fully participate in the upcoming Future Minerals Forum (FMF), scheduled to be held in Riyadh later this month,” Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said in an official statement.
The Pakistani minister will lead his country’s delegation at the FMF and take part in a 90-minute country showcase session titled “Unleashing Potential: Accelerating Pakistan’s Mineral Revolution” along with local and foreign investors.
Pakistan will also establish a dedicated pavilion to highlight the vast potential of its rich geological landscape to the global mineral community.
The Saudi envoy welcomed Pakistan’s decision to participate in the forum and discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in the minerals and energy sectors during the meeting.
According to the statement, he highlighted the potential for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the minerals and energy sectors, expressing confidence that the FMF would provide a platform to expand collaboration.
Pakistan’s mineral sector, despite its rich reserves of salt, copper, gold and coal, contributes only 3.2 percent to the country’s GDP and just 0.1 percent to global mineral exports.
However, many countries, including the United States, have shown interest in Pakistan’s underdeveloped mineral sector, particularly in copper, gold and other critical resources.
In October, Pakistan dispatched its first-ever shipment of rare earth and critical minerals to the United States, according to a Chicago-based US public relations firm’s report.
