Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday set a deadline of 2028 for the expansion of Pakistan Railways Network to strategic REKO DIQ and aimed for the formation of a ministerial committee to present funding requirements in this regard.
Shehbaz was chairman of a meeting on railway upgrade and connects Reko DIQ with the railway network. He instructed the affected authorities to connect Reko DIQ with the Railway Network in 2028 to meet the requirements of the future transport and shipping services.
The Prime Minister also approached to form an inter-ministerial committee to fit the funding questions for upgrading and development of Pakistan railways and to present recommendations in terms of financing required for the network’s extension to Reko DIQ.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was informed of upgrading the main line (ML) -1 and ML-3 and the overall development of the Pakistan railways. The prime minister noted that the Pakistan railways served as a backbone of the country’s economy and communication.
“Pakistan railways are a cheap, fast and environmentally friendly transport source,” Shehbaz said, adding that connecting Reco DIQ by railways would increase the miner and mineral sector in Balochistan and create new employment opportunities for the people of the area.
The meeting attended Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif, Minister of Financial Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister of Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Prime Minister of Railways Bilal Kayani, special assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and others. (With input from app)
