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 funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international financial institutions.
The revelation came before the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, which also sought explanations about the funding of the project, an investigation into the Energy Division and the decision by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to seek legal advice from the Ministry of Justice.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro, examined issues related to external borrowing of the federal and provincial governments, foreign-funded development projects in Sindh and the role of the Economic Affairs Division.
The proceedings were dominated by a heated exchange over a letter written by a section officer suggesting that certain matters raised by the committee did not fall within its jurisdiction.
The committee also questioned the funding mechanism of the ML-1 project after Economic Affairs Secretary Hameer Karim informed members that the railway project, initially conceived as part of the CPEC framework with an estimated cost of $7.7 billion, had now been separated from the 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 directed Pakistan Railways to submit detailed reports on railway land encroachments and the progress of its restructuring plan, including ML-I and PIPRI projects, while reviewing railway safety measures, recent accidents and implementation of its earlier recommendations.
A requested meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was held at Parliament House 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 National Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2007.
The committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on January 14 and reviewed the status of implementation of recommendations made during previous meetings.
During the meeting, Secretary Pakistan Railways gave a comprehensive briefing on recent railway accidents including the collision involving Shalimar Express at Lakha Road station in Sukkur division and Tezgam derailment on Lodhran-Bahawalpur stretch.
Members were informed about the causes of the accidents, the results of departmental investigations and the disciplinary measures initiated against the officials found responsible.
The committee was also briefed in detail on the restructuring, revival and growth plan of Pakistan Railways, 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 land, the committee directed Pakistan Railways to submit a comprehensive report on illegal encroachments 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 submit a detailed report in its next meeting on the progress made under the restructuring and revival plan as well as updates on the ML-I and PIPRI projects.
