ISLAMABAD:
The federal government has revealed that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project has been removed from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework and will now seek financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international financial institutions.
The revelation was made before the Senate Permanent Committee on Economic Affairs, which also requested an explanation on the financing of the project, an investigation into the Energy Division and the decision of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to seek a legal opinion from the Ministry of Justice.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro, examined issues related to foreign borrowings of the federal and provincial governments, foreign-funded development projects in Sindh and the role of the Economic Affairs Division.
The debates were dominated by a heated exchange around a letter written by a section officer suggesting that certain issues raised by the committee did not fall within its remit.
The committee also questioned the financing mechanism of the ML-1 project after Economic Affairs Secretary Hameer Karim informed the members that the railway project, initially conceived under CPEC with an estimated cost of $7.7 billion, had now been separated from CPEC.
He said the government was seeking financial support from the Asian Development Bank and other international lending institutions.
Meanwhile, the Standing Committee on Railways of the National Assembly has directed Pakistan Railways to submit detailed reports on railway encroachments and progress of its restructuring plan, including ML-I and PIPRI projects, while reviewing railway safety measures, recent accidents and implementation of its previous recommendations.
A convened meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Member of National Assembly (MNA) Ramesh Lal, who presided over the proceedings in the absence of the committee chairman, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on January 14 and reviewed the status of implementation of the recommendations made at previous meetings.
During the meeting, Pakistan Railway Secretary gave a comprehensive briefing on the recent railway accidents including the collision involving Shalimar Express at Lakha bus station in Sukkur division and the Tezgam derailment on the Lodhran-Bahawalpur stretch.
Members were informed of the causes of the accidents, the conclusions of departmental investigations and the disciplinary measures taken against the officials found responsible.
The committee also received a detailed briefing on the Pakistan Railways Restructuring, Revival and Growth Plan, covering its strategic direction, governance framework, institutional reforms and implementation strategy aimed at modernizing the country’s railway network.
Expressing concern over encroachments on railway lands, the committee directed Pakistan Railways to submit a comprehensive report on illegal occupations along various sections of the railway network, particularly in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the country.
The committee further directed the Ministry of Railways to provide a detailed briefing on the progress made under the restructuring and recovery plan, as well as updates on the ML-I and PIPRI projects, at its next meeting.
