Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited was a Pakistani shipping company which was headquartered on Muhammad House in Karachi. It was one of the oldest locally owned shipping companiesinPakistan until it was nationalised in 1974.
Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited's headquarters were located at Muhammadi House on I.I. Chundrigar Road in Karachi
| |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | 2 May 1947 |
| Defunct | 1974 |
| Fate | Nationalised by the Government of Pakistan |
| Successor | Pakistan National Shipping Corporation |
| Headquarters |
,
Pakistan
|
Area served | Pakistan |
Key people | Fakhruddin Valika (chairman) |
| Owner | Valika family Habib family |
Muhammadi Steamship Company Limited was incorporated on 12 May 1947.[1] It was a large-scale joint venture among business families of Pakistan, including Habib, Cowasjee, Dada, Arag, and Adam, which held ownership until 1963 when Valika family acquired the stake.[2] Under the Valika family's leadership, the company built Al-Abbas, which was the first major ship to be built in Karachi Shipyard.[3] The company was nationalized by the Government of Pakistan under then President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was later merged with other Pakistani nationalized shipping companies to create the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.
In 1949, it became the first Pakistani shipping line to be publicly listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange.[4]
Muhammadi House on McLeod Road (now I. I. Chundrigar Road) was the headquarters of the company.[5]
| Ship | Built | Tonnage | Builder | In Service | Fate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Murtaza Ali | 1942 | 7235 GRT | West Coast Shipbuilders, Vancouver as 'Fort Norman' | 1948 - 1954 | Sold in 1954 to United Oriental Steamship Company, Karachi and renamed ANWARBAKSH | |
| Husaini later Al Husaini | 1943 | 7157 GRT | North Vancouver Ship Repairers Ltd., North Vancouver as 'Fort Clatsop' | 1948 - 1968 | Broken up at Karachi in November 1968 | Renamed in 1949 |
| Ahmadi later Al Ahmadi | 1920 | 5186 GRT | Todd Dry Dock & Construction Company, Tacoma as 'Pallas' | 1948 - 1954 | Broken up at Karachi in 1954 | Renamed in 1949 |
| Al Hasan | 1943 | 7165 GRT | North Vancouver Ship Repairers Ltd., North Vancouver as 'Fort St. Antoine' | 1949 - 1964 | Broken up at Karachi in February 1964 | |
| Colima later Al Chisti | 1917 | 1306 GRT | Sodra Varfvets Nya A/B, Stockholm as 'Svealand' | 1949 - 1954 | Broken up at Karachi in 1954 | Renamed in 1950 |
| Al-Sayyada | 1944 | 7165 GRT | Victoria Machinery Depot Company, Victoria B.C. as 'Hastings Park' | 1952 - 1967 | Broken up at Karachi in November 1967 | First ship to dry dock at Karachi Shipyard.[4][6] |
| Al Ahmadi | 1940 | 5361 GRT | Lithgows Ltd., Port Glasgow as 'Risaldar' | 1958 - 1966 | Broken up at Karachi in June 1966 | |
| Al-Abbas | 1967 | 6087 GRT | Karachi Shipyard | 1967 - 1971 | Sunk on 16 August 1971 in Operation Jackpot by the Mukti Bahini commandoes at Chittagong | First merchant ship built at Karachi Shipyard.[4][6] |
