ISLAMABAD: Easing concerns of any imminent fuel shortage in the country, oil tankers continue to arrive regularly following the permission granted by Iranian authorities for Pakistani vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The marine tanker MT Shalimar, owned and operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Company (PNSC), arrived at Karachi Port to offload crude oil, while MT Vienna Wood, carrying 57,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel, is awaiting berthing at the outer anchorage of Karachi’s Port Qasim.

Another PNSC-operated vessel, MT Khairpur, has already discharged 55,000 metric tonnes of petrol at the FOTCO terminal at Port Qasim.

In addition, the Panama-registered tanker Qem Star is set to offload ethylene at Port Qasim. Ethylene is a critical petrochemical used primarily in the production of plastics, including packaging materials, bottles, and pipes. It is also essential for manufacturing ethylene dichloride (used in PVC) and antifreeze compounds.

Other vessels at the outer anchorage are carrying commodities such as soybeans, coal, and containerised cargo.

At Karachi Port, 13 ships are currently berthed, handling containers and bulk cargo, including canola, rock phosphate, and cement.

Since the onset of the American-Israeli war on Iran, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has handled seven oil tankers carrying crude oil and two carrying petrol.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2026