Pakistan modernises railways to boost economy: PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: With recent revenue increases and infrastructure upgrades, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country has been focusing on modernising railways to give impetus to economic growth.

"The digitisation and modernisation of Pakistan Railways and the provision of state-of-the-art facilities would play a key role in strengthening the national economy," the prime minister said while addressing an inauguration ceremony on Monday.

He said that the government has been planning to upgrade all railway stations across the country, adding that a total of 54 railway stations have already been modernised, improving efficiency and supporting local businesses by offering a more cost-effective substitute.

Besides that, Sharif said discussions with the Asian Development Bank for a $2 billion loan are being held to further upgrade the Pakistan Railways line from southern Sindh province to south-west Balochistan, adding that cooperation among the provinces needed to be enhanced to ensure modernisation across the railway network and help stabilise the economy.

The centre would work with all provinces to extend the railway network to Central Asia, the premier said, while highlighting the key Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway line project.

By RSS/Xinhua