Karachi: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has inaugurated the new Shalimar Express train and modernized Karachi Cantt station. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister congratulated Pakistan Railways for this upgradation.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister commended the collaboration between the Sindh government and Pakistan Railways, emphasizing the importance of replicating this partnership with the provincial governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He described this federal-provincial partnership as exemplary, forecasting that it will transform Pakistan Railways into a modern transportation network within the region.
Highlighting the vast potential for railway network development in Central Asia, Shehbaz Sharif noted that the proactive approach demonstrated by Pakistan Railways positions Pakistan as a burgeoning regional hub for communications. He also underscored the significance of resuming the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train, predicting it would herald a new era of economic growth and development for the country.
The Prime Minister further announced that efforts by the federal and Sindh governments towards completing the Karachi Circular Line project would continue unabated. He also assured that the federal government would ensure the disbursement of necessary funds to complete the Thar Coal railway project, which aims at linking the Thar coal deposits to the Pakistan Railways network.
Shehbaz Sharif praised the Railways Minister for refurbishing 54 railway stations across the country so far and expressed optimism that all railway stations nationwide would soon be modernized.
Earlier, the Railways Minister provided a briefing on major projects currently underway. He revealed that the first-ever smart and safe railway station had been established in Rawalpindi in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO), with another station featuring 250 cameras under construction in Karachi.
Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and other senior officials were present at the occasion.