Pakistan to Build 400-Acre Garments City at Port Qasim, Creating 138,000 Jobs

Pakistan intends to construct a 400-acre Garments City at Port Qasim in Karachi, in order to boost textile exports, draw private investment, and generate employment, with Artistic Milliners committing to invest over $18 million in a manufacturing plant. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, announced the plans after leading a discussion on the proposed export-oriented industrial zone.

The first phase of the project, covering 250 acres, aims to create more than 138,000 jobs and yield annual exports worth around $2.2 billion. The initiative is being developed as a public-private partnership and will center on high-value apparel manufacturing, with utilities and infrastructure provided by the Port Qasim Authority.

The commercial blueprint presently comprises 32 industrial plots, each spanning five acres, although the plot size could be decreased to between two and three acres to accommodate more investors and manufacturing units. Artistic Milliners, a Pakistani textile and denim producer, plans to establish a vertically integrated facility utilizing eco-friendly technologies.

The project aims to entice additional private sector investment and bolster the apparel manufacturing base around the port. The Port Qasim Authority will furnish the necessary infrastructure and utilities, with each industrial unit expected to receive up to 400,000 gallons of water daily, 2 megawatts of grid electricity, and 23,100 pounds of industrial gas daily at a pressure of 8 pounds per square inch, sufficient to meet the needs of 10 tonnes of steam.

The overall project's utility capacity will encompass 13 million gallons of water daily, 64 megawatts of electricity, and 750,000 pounds of industrial gas daily. The Garments City will also incorporate a one-window system for exporters, featuring streamlined export processing, specialized customs desks, and dedicated transport corridors.

The initial phase is projected to generate 138,125 jobs and produce annual exports worth $2.2 billion, while the government intends to augment the average export value of garments to approximately $8 per piece.