Keti Bunder Port: President for integrated approach to proposed uplift

President Asif Ali Zardari has urged an integrated approach to the planned Keti Bunder Port, according to Business Recorder, saying the scheme needs dependable roads, electricity, water, industrial facilities and other basic services. He made the remarks during a briefing by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on the proposed scheme. Zardari described the site as a possible extra sea gateway that could add to the country's port and logistics capacity, and called for close technical coordination between Chinese and Pakistani authorities.

He also said environmental sustainability must stay central, particularly for the delicate Indus Delta and the incomes of the region's fishing communities. He encouraged further technical engagement to refine the master plan and settle on a suitable implementation and financing framework. The Chinese side, including Wu Ping, CHEC's chief representative in Pakistan, presented the conceptual master plan envisaging a deep-water sea gateway featuring several terminals along with logistics and support infrastructure.

Phase-I, as outlined in the presentation, would include a multi-purpose facility alongside a 500-metre quay. The preliminary engineering cost estimate for this phase is approximately USD 522.34 million. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, two senators and senior Sindh officials also attended the session.