PM Shehbaz Sharif Directs Advance Financial Clearances for Railway Mega Projects to Avoid Delays
High-Level Review Meeting Orders Federal-Provincial Synergy for ML-1, ML-3, and Thar Coal Rail Links
Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of ongoing development infrastructure within Pakistan Railways. While commending the department's recent efforts to upgrade passenger facilities and train stations, the Prime Minister emphasized that long-term sustainable growth hinges entirely on robust investment in freight services and the timely execution of mega projects.
The Prime Minister underscored that a world-class freight logistics network is critical to streamlining the transport of industrial goods across the country, which in turn will substantially boost the national carrier's annual revenue. To eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, PM Shehbaz strictly instructed that institutional and financial blueprints for all major undertakings must be pre-approved before construction phases begin.
Budget ALLOCATIONS Guaranteed for Key Railway Projects in Upcoming Fiscal Plan
Focusing on the strategic railway infrastructure, the Prime Minister directed federal and provincial entities to work in absolute harmony to accelerate the execution of Mainline-1 (ML-1), Mainline-3 (ML-3), and the Thar Coal rail network projects.
"Completing these mega-scale infrastructure projects on schedule and with uncompromised quality is the only way to mitigate cost overruns and save public capital. The government will ensure dedicated financial allocations for these critical rail projects in the upcoming federal budget. International standards, administrative transparency, and rigorous efficiency remain our top-tier priorities." — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Strategic Reforms Set to Yield Record Rs. 40 Billion Freight Revenue by June
During the session, Federal Minister for Railways Mohammad Hanif Abbasi and the Secretary of Railways presented a comprehensive progress report. The briefing highlighted that targeted structural reforms within the cargo and cargo-handling operations are yielding unprecedented results. Due to these measures, Pakistan Railways is projected to generate a historic Rs. 40 billion in freight revenue by the end of June this year.
Meeting Attendees:
The high-profile strategic session was attended by Federal Minister for Railways Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Special Assistant to the PM on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar, alongside senior executive officials from the relevant ministries.