Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi
UN/LOCODE PKBQM · Pakistan · Asia-Pacific · SD
Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi (UN/LOCODE PKBQM) is a designated seaport in Pakistan (SD) in the tropical northern Indian Ocean region. The port operates on Asia/Karachi, uses the Pakistan Rupee (PKR), runs shore power at 230V/50Hz (Type C/D/G/M). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Jinnah International Airport (KHI), 23 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 24.7667, 67.3333
- Time zone
- Asia/KarachiUTC +05:00no DST
- Local currency
- PKR— Pakistan Rupee
- Languages
- ur, en
- Nearest airport
- KHIJinnah International Airport~23 km
- Electricity
- 230 V50 Hzplugs C, D, G, M(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- BWhHot desert
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 1-------
seaport
- Port authority
- Port Qasim Authority - PQA
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
P&I correspondents
- · Universal Shipping Lines
- · GAC Pakistan
- · Inchcape Shipping Services Pakistan
Port agents
- · GAC Pakistan
- · Inchcape Shipping Services Pakistan
- · Salim Mehmud Shipping
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Industrial port east of Karachi serving heavy industry, oil & gas terminals, and container traffic. 45 km navigation channel from sea buoy; pilotage mandatory.
Helplines for seafarers in Pakistan
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- Pakistan Merchant Navy Officers AssociationAsia-Pacific · Office hours · en, ur
- Mission to Seafarers KarachiSouth Asia · Daily · en, ur
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
Other ports in Pakistan
Port-state-control region: indian ocean MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi?
- Shore leave at Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi is governed by Pakistan immigration rules, the flag administration's policy, and the port authority's local rules. Seafarers normally need their seaman's book + a shore-leave permit issued by the agent. Confirm with your agent before going ashore — local policy changes frequently.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi?
- Seafarers calling at Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. Pakistan may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi?
- No welfare centre is currently listed for Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi in our directory. If you need assistance, the nearest centre may be in a neighbouring port or the country's principal seafarer hub. ISWAN's 24-hour SeafarerHelp line and the ITF helpline both cover Pakistan regardless of whether a centre exists locally.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Pakistan in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Muhammad Bin Qasim/Karachi?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Jinnah International Airport (KHI), about 23 km away — useful for medevac planning.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (13)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (PK)retrieved 2026-05-06
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (PK)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (PKR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (PKR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (PK)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Karachi)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Karachi)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Karachi)retrieved 2026-05-06
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (PK)retrieved 2026-05-06
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1-------)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (KHI)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q2977064)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (PK)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.