KCR should be fully functional within three months: Supreme Court

• The court has also directed that the ML-1 train line should be made fully functional in the next two years.

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project must be completed in the next three months.

A three member bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah took up the case regarding the losses incurred by Pakistan Railways. Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar appeared before the bench.

The railway minister presented a business plan of Pakistan Railways before the bench. He also informed the SC that 85 percent of the track for KCR has been cleared and they have been razing more buildings to the ground, local media reported.

The SC directed that the project be completed in the next three months and that if the timeline for the railway projects is not followed strictly, then there will be dire consequences. The hearing on KCR was adjourned until February 21.

Meanwhile, the court has directed that the ML-1 train line should be made fully functional in the next two years. Speaking to the media after the hearing, Umar said said that the ML-1 project will be presented before the next meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee of CPEC  which will be held in April.