ISLAMABAD:
The federal government has revealed that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project has been removed from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework and will now seek funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international financial institutions.
The revelation came before the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, which also sought explanations regarding the project’s funding, an investigation by the Power Division and the Economic Affairs Division’s (EAD) decision to seek legal advice from the Ministry of Law.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro, reviewed issues related to foreign borrowing by the federal and provincial governments, foreign-funded development projects in Sindh and the role of the finance department.
The proceedings were dominated by a heated exchange of views over a letter written by a section officer suggesting that certain issues raised by the committee did not fall within its jurisdiction.
The committee also questioned the funding mechanism for the ML-1 project after Finance Secretary Hameer Karim informed the members that the railway project, originally conceived as part of the CPEC framework with an estimated cost of $7.7 billion, had now been separated from the CPEC.
He said the government was seeking financial support from the Asian Development Bank and other international lending institutions.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Railways directed Pakistan Railways to submit detailed reports on encroachment of railway land and the progress of its restructuring plan, including the ML-I and the PIPRI projects, while reviewing railway safety measures, recent accidents and the implementation of its earlier recommendations.
A requisitioned meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly (MNA) Ramesh Lal, who presided over the proceedings in the absence of the Committee Chairman in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, 2007.
The committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting on January 14 and reviewed the implementation status of recommendations made during previous meetings.
During the meeting, the Secretary of Pakistan Railways gave a comprehensive briefing on the recent railway accidents, including the collision with Shalimar Express at Lakha Road Station in Sukkur Division and the derailment of Tezgam on the Lodhran-Bahawalpur section.
Members were informed of the causes of the accidents, the results of departmental investigations and disciplinary action initiated against officials found responsible.
The committee also received a detailed briefing on Pakistan Railways’ restructuring, revival and growth plan covering its strategic direction, governance framework, institutional reforms and implementation strategy aimed at modernizing the country’s railway network.
Expressing concern over encroachment on railway land, the committee directed Pakistan Railways to submit a comprehensive report on illegal encroachments along various parts of the railway network, particularly in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the country.
The committee further directed the Ministry of Railways to present a detailed briefing in its next meeting on the progress achieved under the restructuring and revival plan as well as updates on the ML-I and PIPRI projects.
