Vessel clears Hormuz, docks in Karachi

KARACHI:

The vessel MV SELEN arrived at Karachi Port on Saturday, becoming the first Pakistan-bound vessel to do so following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after more than a month of disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East.

In a statement, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said: "MV SELEN, operated by NLC (AP Line), has berthed at Karachi Port, marking the first Pakistan-bound container vessel arrival following recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz." It added that the vessel, arriving from Jebel Ali, signalled the resumption of containerised trade and reinforced confidence in maritime supply chains.

The KPT said the development reflected effective coordination among port, shipping and logistics stakeholders to sustain cargo operations.

Although the Strait of Hormuz had remained disrupted since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Pakistan continued to receive oil shipments, the first of which arrived on March 18. It also facilitated the passage of other shipments, with its flagged carriers operating under arrangements with Iran, allowing containers to transit through the strait.