RAWALPINDI: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Thursday said Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate Mianwali Express on Friday to facilitate the people of Mianwali.
Talking to media persons here at Rawalpindi Press Club he said, this would be the 36th passenger train.
Pakistan Railways (PR) had successfully raised the number of passengers to seven million during last 10 months, which could further be enhanced to 10 million, he added.
The railway also enhanced freight by seven percent during the same period, he said.
The minister said, though the railway managed to curtail its Rs 10 billion deficit during the last 10 months, yet Rs 4 billion extra fuel bill was paid.
To a question he said, the government would lay foundation stone of Lai Expressway soon as all the arrangements were being finalized to start construction work of the much awaited project.
The project would be completed on Build-Operate-Transfer basis, he said adding, “We are trying to lay rail track along with Lai Expressway.”
He said, the expressway would start from the Soan Bridge instead of Ammar Chowk in Chaklala to facilitate maximum population, adding the project would change fate of the citizens particularly living along the Lai Nullah as the citizens would be allowed to construct commercial buildings along the road.
“The government is working to permanently resolve the issue of flooding in Nullah Lai.
Feasibility study and PC-I of the Lai Expressway project had been completed,” he said.
Sheikh Rashid said the matters pertaining to up-gradation of Main Line-I (ML-1) from Karachi to Peshawar would be finalized soon.
The up-gradation of 1700 kilometers long ML-1 track would change the entire look of Pakistan Railways and bring economic revolution in the country.
The minister said efforts were being made to launch ML-1 project soon.
To another question, he said the politics of those who were involved in loot and plunder had been exposed before the nation and there was no political future of the families of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari.
He informed, he appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present proof of kickbacks in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) scam against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Sheikh Rashid said, “ The next 90 to 100 days are very important in the politics of Pakistan.”
Those who were involved in loot and plunder of the national exchequer were now making hue and cry and wanted national reconciliation ordinance from the prime minister, he said.
Reply to another question the minister said, Pakistan fought the legal battle in Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case very well.
He appreciated International Court of Justice’s decision of not acquitting and returning the spy to India.
He said, Kulbhushan Jadhav was guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan.
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