A Belgian shipping line has started a Karachi-West Africa service to cater to exports of Pakistani rice, which is in high demand. In this regard, a Conti Asian Lines (CAL) vessel was loading rice for West Africa at Karachi Port on Tuesday evening.

This was stated by the managing director of General Shipping Agencies (GSA) Mohammad A. Rajpar on the completion of 30 years of Conti Asian Lines (CAL) service from Europe to Pakistan here on Tuesday night.

CAL, based in Antwerp, Belgium, is a group of companies, which operates many lines and allied maritime activities in different parts of the world, he added.

He said CAL was the oldest independent carrier of steel, break bulk cargo, projects and heavy lifts between Northern Europe and India-Pakistan. CAL operates three weekly direct sailings, mainly from Antwerp to Karachi and Mumbai, with a lifting capacity up to 90 metric tons.

Now CAL has also started a Pakistan-West African service to cater mainly for export of rice.