Groundwork for ML-I project complete: Swati

Minister says PM to sign documents this month and work will start early next year

The basic work for the Main Line-One (ML-I) mega project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is complete and Prime Minister Imran will sign the project documents by the end of this month, Railways Minister Azam Swati has said.

Talking to media persons in Rawalpindi after attending a Christmas-related event organised by the Christian employees of the railways, the minister said that work on the $4.5 billion project would start early next year.

“Discussions on all the basic issues of the project have been completed, while talks with China on the security of the project have entered the final stage,” he said. “The ML-I will take Pakistan to new economic heights. The project will also enhance Pakistan’s defence capability,” he added.

The ML-I is a major railway line project, which will connect Pakistan with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, according to the minister. “Under ML-I, trains will run between Peshawar, Kabul and Uzbekistan,” Swati added.

The minister informed the gathering that the presidents of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have signed ML-I documents, while deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan would be in Islamabad later this month for the signing of Prime Minister Imran on the documents.

Railways affairs

The minister said that Pakistan Railways had been running in deficit for 45 years. “Railways sustained RsI7 billion loss in last 5 months, mainly because of malfunctions of trains. “A poor country like Pakistan is running this loss-making institution,” he said.

He said vast pieces of the railway land had been occupied by encroachers and promised that the occupied land would be got vacated. Railways land worth Rs4 billion had been vacated in Karachi the other day. “Every inch of encroached land will be freed up,” he said.

Stressing that railways was an institution that could be shut down like the Pakistan Steel Mills, the minister promised to put it back on track. [Former minister] Sheikh Rashid laid the foundation of a turnaround in the railways department. “Now I’ll take it to its destination, like a train.”

Responding to a question, the minister said that Prime Minister Imran had said that whichever party came in the government, it should be given full details regarding the performance of all the institutions before taking oath.

Earlier, the minister cut the cake at the Christmas function and congratulated the Christian community on the joyous occasion. He also said that Pakistan’s minority had an important role to play in the development of Pakistan.

 

I50,000 jobs

 

Separately, the minister met CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa, who called on him at the Railways Ministry. During the meeting, Swati said that the ML-I project would create around I50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities in the country.

Matter pertaining to CPEC projects, modernisation of the railways and issues related to ML-I project were discussed in the meeting. Swati said that after completion of the ML-I, the speed of the trains will reach I60 kilometres per hour.

The minister said that after the project, the travel time between Lahore and Karachi would be reduced to 8 hours, while the journey between Rawalpindi and Lahore would be completed in two and half hours only. “The future of the Pakistan Railways is linked to the ML-I project,” he said.

The minister said that there would be fencing on both sides of the ML-I track and that all the level crossings would be removed. He also revealed that the railways would also upgrade the ML-II and Quetta to Gwadar rail tracks along with ML-I.

On the occasion, Bajwa said that ML-I project was the most important project of the country that would be competed as soon as possible. He congratulated the minister on assuming new responsibilities. Special Assistant to the Minister for Railways Ghulam Dastgir Baloch was also present in the meeting. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)