Thal Express inaugurated: Rs 6 billion daily interest being paid on loans: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that the government is seeing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as collaboration between the two countries in all the fields including agriculture, fishing, technology transfer, relocation of special economic zone and railways including Main Line (ML-I).
Speaking after inaugurating the ''Pakistan Railway Live Tracking System and Thal Express'' here on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that completion of ML-I would revolutionise the entire train system and train journey time from Peshawar to Karachi will be reduced to 8 hours.
He said the present government''s priority is to make the travelling of ordinary people easier by bringing about improvement in the country''s railways system as train is for the common man''s journey. He said that the in the past, the focus was on elitist system and all the resources were being utilised to benefit a handful people through construction of motorways.
The Prime Minister also held the previous two governments of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) responsible for the suffering of the people and stated that the government is paying Rs 6 billion daily interest on the loans taken by them during the last ten years.
They have increased the country'' debt to Rs 30 trillion from Rs 6 trillion during the last ten years, he added. The Prime Minister further stated that deal between the two parties undermined the fear of accountability.
The Prime Minister said that the expenses of Prime Minister House have been reduced by 30 percent and an auditor was assigned to further cut these expenditures. He also directed that all the ministries should reduce the expenses by 10 percent.
"We were forced to increase the gas prices because of Rs 157 billion loan and Rs 50 billion theft in the gas sector per year," he said, adding the banks were not ready to provide loans to the gas companies. He further said that the government''s focus is on reducing the expenses and initiating crackdown against theft. "We are passing through a difficult time but the future of the country is bright," he claimed.