Cargo handling at the country’s largest seaport remained suspended for more than six hours after the employees of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) went on strike Tuesday morning.
The stoppage of work at Karachi Port, where dozens of vessels keep calling round-the-clock to load and unload imported and exportable cargo, was caused by what a KPT spokesman said a verbal “argument” between the security personnel from Pakistan Navy and KPT employees.
The brawl eventuated into a physical contact that led to the shooting of KPT employee on leg by the marine. Soon after the shooting incident took place at around 7:50am, the United Workers Front (UWF) led Collective Bargaining Agent of KPT called for a strike.
The workers’ strike, the CBA officials said, led to the suspension of work at the East and West wharves of the port for more than six hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm. The KPT spokesman, however, rejected CBA’s claim on work suspension as baseless saying cargo handling at Karachi Port was fully automated and not manual so was unaffected.
The insiders at port insisted that not only cargo handling was halted but all of the port’s gates were also closed by the agitating KPT employees.
According to CBA officials at KPT, Shehzad, son of Zareen Khan, an employee of the Trust while rushing to his workplace at Berth Number 1, was denied entry into Khamis Gate by on-duty marines, Samiullah Khan and Inayat. The two navy personnel are serving at KPT on deputation.
The marines, CBA officials claimed, rejected Shehzad’s identity card as “fake” with the latter insisting that he was an “old” port worker and that his card was original.
The heated debate turned violent when Shehzad tried to make his way into the port, something that made the armed mariner shot a gunfire. “The bullet indirectly hit Shehzad in the leg,” the trade unionists said adding, “We investigated the matter and found the mariners guilty so went on strike”.
A KPT spokesman, however, came up with a different account. “He had a duplicate card so the marines objected,” claimed the spokesman.
He said given the current uncertain security situation and the consequent scaled-up vigilance at the country’s strategically-located seaport the security officials were strictly instructed to go for a thorough verification of the visitors’ ID cards.
“The argument turned heated and resulted into firing,” the spokesman said. Shehzad, he claimed, was hit by a splinter and not bullet. “He is under treatment at KPT hospital and feeling well,” the spokesman said.
It was KPT Chairman Vice Admiral Shafqat Javed’s intervention that defused the situation and work was resumed at the port at around 4pm. The recently-appointed KPT chairman from Pakistan Navy is said to have announced a Rs 30,000 compensation for the injured Shehzad.
Having suspended Samiullah and Inayat, the chairman also assured the enraged CBA of a probe into the matter. While the KPT management appears to have quelled the dispute, the Trust’s unionists tend to question the very existence of naval officials on deputation in their organisation.
“The personnel from PSF (Port Security Force) and Watch and Ward are meant to guard the port entry and exit points and not the marines,” said a CBA official, requesting anonymity.
Whatever the reason is, work’s suspension at the country’s seaports costs the already marches-hit thus troubled trade and industry dearly. As KPT’s shipping intelligence shows at least 15 national and international vessels carrying different cargoes were anchored at Karachi Port till 7 hours of Tuesday.
Moreover, some 10 ships were awaiting berthing at the port’s outer anchorage. Delays for whatsoever reasons in the handling of these vessels cause hefty port and ship demurrages to the shipping lines. Such negatives definitely send a wrong message about the cargo handling efficiencies at Pakistani seaports.
