Pakistan plans to establish a 400-acre Garments City at Port Qasim in Karachi as part of a push to increase textile exports, attract private investment and create jobs.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry reviewed the proposed project at a meeting on Monday. The export-focused industrial cluster will target high-value apparel manufacturing.
Artistic Milliners, one of Pakistan’s major textile and denim manufacturers, plans to establish a manufacturing unit in the new zone. The company will invest more than $18 million and incorporate vertical integration and green technologies into the facility.
First phase to cover 250 acres
The first phase of the Port Qasim Garments City will cover 250 acres. Around 35% of the land will go towards internal roads, utilities and green spaces.
Officials have proposed developing the project through a public-private partnership. Private-sector participation will remain a central part of the plan.
The proposed commercial structure includes 32 industrial plots of five acres each. However, authorities may reduce plot sizes to two or three acres. This would allow more investors and manufacturing units to enter the zone.
Port Qasim Authority will provide the required infrastructure and utilities.
Each industrial unit could receive up to 400,000 gallons of water per day. It would also have access to two megawatts of on-grid electricity.
The plan provides 23,100 pounds of industrial gas per day at 8 PSI for each unit. Officials estimate this would support the production of around 10 tonnes of steam.
Across the entire project, planners have proposed daily water capacity of 13 million gallons. They also envisage 64MW of on-grid electricity and 750,000 pounds of industrial gas per day.
Project targets $2.2 billion in annual exports
The Garments City could deliver a major boost to employment and textile exports if the project meets its targets.
Projections presented at the meeting estimate that the first phase could create 138,125 jobs. Annual exports could reach about $2.2 billion.
The project also aims to increase the average export value of garments to around $8 per piece.
Authorities plan to establish a one-window mechanism for exporters. It would offer streamlined export processing, specialised customs desks and dedicated transport corridors.
The government hopes that placing manufacturing close to port infrastructure will improve logistics and strengthen Pakistan’s position in value-added textile exports.
Pakistan’s textile exports reached about $17.93 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, according to provisional official data. Readymade garment exports rose 3.87% to around $4.29 billion during the year.
Port Qasim emerging as industrial hub
The Garments City forms part of a wider effort to develop industrial activity around Port Qasim.
In April, the government announced plans for a modern 400-acre small industrial estate at the port. The proposed development follows an infrastructure-first approach, with utilities and roads planned before plot allocation.
Days before the Garments City announcement, Chaudhry also unveiled a 150-acre automotive processing zone at Port Qasim. The project will expand in phases according to market demand.
Together, the projects signal a broader strategy to use Port Qasim for export-oriented manufacturing, industrial investment and improved access to international markets.
