PRIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to start work on upgradation on Railway Main Line One (ML-1) on a priority basis. Presiding over a review meeting regarding matters relating to Pakistan Railways in Islamabad on Monday, he said ML-1 is the backbone of Pakistan Railways. The Prime Minister said Pakistan will also provide trade corridors to other regional countries in future through its railway system and ports. He said the government is taking various steps on a priority basis for the rehabilitation of Pakistan Railways.
The resolve of the Prime Minister to establish world class infrastructure to serve as trade corridors for the entire region is in line with the overall futuristic developmental vision of PML(N). It is known to all that the idea of creating a network of international standard motorways was given practical shape by Mian Nawaz Sharif which was belittled by his political opponents but now these motorways and highways are serving as economic arteries of the country. Similarly, it was the PML(N) Government, which signed a historic accord with China for massive investment in infrastructure projects under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and ironically this initiative of unparallel significance was also opposed by some elements on different pretexts. Upgradation of Pakistan Railways’ main line-I was one of the projects under the CPEC but unfortunately no progress was made on this crucial plan as overall progress on implementation of work on different aspects of CPEC remain almost stalled during the tenure of the PTI Government. The credit goes to the incumbent Government for prioritizing this project, the implementation of which would go a long way in accelerating the pace of economic activities besides opening up possibilities to serve as a trade corridor for other countries if plans to extend railways and CPEC to Afghanistan materialize as has already been agreed upon by China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gwadar port is also envisaged to serve as a hub of regional trade and investment but here again its potential has not yet been exploited because of non-completion of various projects, especially those that have a bearing on internal and external connectivity. No doubt, Pakistan is facing a financial crunch but the willingness of China to offer funding for agreed projects offers a way out to continue the journey on the path of economic development, an opportunity that must not be missed.
