Karachi Port has received and discharged 179 electric buses from China, Karachi Port Trust KPT said in an announcement on October 21.
The buses arrived from Yingkou aboard MV RUINING 6, which berthed at Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML). The shipment’s consignee is Margalla Heavy Industries Limited, based in Taxila Cantt, Pakistan.
KPT described the consignment as part of its role in facilitating modern transport imports and supporting Pakistan’s transition towards cleaner mobility.
The port authority said the handling operation demonstrated its ability to accommodate different cargo requirements while maintaining trade flows. It also linked the shipment to the development of Pakistan’s transport infrastructure.
Shipment arrives for Taxila-based company
The announcement identifies the shipment’s origin, carrying vessel, receiving terminal and consignee. However, it does not specify which cities or transport operators will ultimately receive the buses.
KPT also did not disclose the manufacturer, purchase value, passenger capacity, battery specifications or expected date of entry into service.
Those details will determine how the consignment contributes to public transport operations once the vehicles leave the port.
Margalla Heavy Industries lists electric buses among its products on its website. The company describes itself as a wholly owned subsidiary of Heavy Industries Taxila.
Its Margalla Electric division focuses on electric buses and other new-energy mobility platforms for urban and intercity transport. The company’s broader activities include engineering, vehicle modernisation and industrial services.
KGTML expands vehicle-handling role
The latest bus shipment follows another electric-vehicle arrival at the same terminal earlier this year.
On July 17, the federal government announced that MV Grande Shanghai had brought more than 2,000 electric vehicles to KGTML. Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry described that consignment as Pakistan’s first roll-on/roll-off shipment of electric vehicles.
The 220-metre vessel used a system that allows vehicles to drive directly aboard and ashore. According to the minister, this method reduces handling time and improves operational safety.
That earlier operation provides context for KGTML’s growing vehicle-handling business. KPT’s latest announcement does not identify the unloading method used for the 179 buses aboard MV RUINING 6.
Terminal investment supports diverse cargo
KGTML operates under a 25-year concession agreement that AD Ports Group and Karachi Port Trust announced in February 2024.
The arrangement covers bulk and general cargo operations at berths 11 to 17 on Karachi Port’s East Wharf. AD Ports Group holds the majority interest in the venture alongside UAE-based Kaheel Terminals.
The concession assigns KGTML responsibility for developing, operating and managing those facilities.
In February 2026, KGTML awarded AMCORP Engineering & Construction a civil works contract for the terminal’s first development phase. Noatum Ports, AD Ports Group’s international ports operating arm, announced the award.
For the latest consignment, KPT reported successful arrival and discharge of all 179 buses. Its announcement covered port handling, with no onward delivery or passenger-service timetable provided.
