Summary PM Shehbaz inaugurates Green Line Express train service
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday pinned hope that Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would ink an agreement regarding release of the latest tranche under the ninth review of the bailout programme.
"We are making serious efforts to come out of tough circumstances," he said at the inaugural ceremony of Green Line Express train. The premier said the government was trying to save every single penny to prevent the economic crisis. "The IMF delegation will be visiting Islamabad from Jan 31 to Feb 9 to continue discussions regarding the ninth review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF)."
He said considering the dire situation of the foreign exchange reserves, the government had developed a list of items that needed to be imported based on their necessity. Mr Sharif added that the list included food and medical items.
The prime minister emphasised the adoption of austerity at a massive scale to tackle difficult economic problems. He said the government had set its priority keeping in view its foreign exchange reserves, thus allowing the import of medicines and food as essential items. He said courageous nations stand united while braving the challenges with resilience. The premier expressed confidence that with dedication and commitment, the country would soon regain its glory.
Commenting on Green Line Express train service, the premier said the foundation-laying ceremony of the project was held during his elder brother Nawaz Sharif’s tenure but like other projects, this one also failed to go through. He regretted that the Green Line project was delayed by the previous government. He endorsed the concept of outsourcing Pakistan Railways to make it better equipped and on a par with contemporary services.
The prime minister said the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track was a top priority for the government and mentioned that China was committed to its early completion. He pointed out that the previous government indulged in baseless accusations of corruption against Chinese companies, and stressed that the coalition government was working on restoring the ties.
The new train service comprising modern coaches imported from China was launched from the Margalla train station, Islamabad. The prime minister visited various coaches of the train and appreciated the services provided for the travellers to make their journey comfortable. The turnaround time of the Green Line is set at 22 hours, which will be reduced gradually.
-- Citizens urged to use GLT --
Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique Friday urged the masses to use the state-of-the-art Green Line Train inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for boosting the revenue.
Addressing the ceremony, he said the ticket would cover breakfast, lunch, hi-tea, and dinner besides wifi. Apart from this, he said, high-quality bedding and utility kits would also be provided to the passengers. He said around 2,200 passengers would benefit from the train service to be run between Islamabad to Karachi.
“It is my appeal to all the citizens to travel in the newly inaugurated Green Line Train which has been equipped with modern facilities,” the minister said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the train.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally inspected the Green Line Train which could help 2,200 passengers travel daily from Islamabad to Karachi in a cosy environment.
The minister said the train would leave Margalla Railway Station at 3pm and reach Karachi at 2:20 PM the next day. The train would stop at Rawalpindi, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri Junction and Hyderabad stations during the journey.
Saad Rafique said the train would provide state-of-the-art services to the passengers including comfortable sleepers, WIFI, quality meals, tea, bottled water, newspapers, standard bedding and air-conditioned rooms.
He said the passengers would have the facility of online booking and e-ticketing through which they can purchase e-tickets for their journey on the official website of Pak Railways or through the smartphone application which is available on the Google Play Store.
The minister said the Green Line was first inaugurated in 2013 by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, its services were suspended by the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
He said the “gentry” services of Green Line Train had been outsourced with due diligence and after a competitive bidding process so that more revenue could be generated for the department.
“The revenue of Pakistan Railways stood at Rs 18 billion when the last time Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came into power in 2013, he said, adding it jumped to Rs 54 billion when the government completed its tenure in 2018,” he added.
He said unfortunately, the previous PTI government totally neglected the department and appointed blue-eyed officers who damaged the department’s revenue growth altogether.
Saad Rafique said concerted efforts were being made to boost the revenue of the department, however, financial support was imperative to undertake reforms for a revival of the Pakistan Railways.
The minister said Pakistan Railways had worked out a plan for branding several passenger trains and railway platforms to generate maximum revenue for the department.
He said the branding of the trains and platforms would not only address the increasing deficit of Pakistan Railways but also allow private firms to advertise their products for this purpose.
Saad Rafique said some Rs 200 million were required to run the day-to-day affairs of Pakistan Railways, but it was just generating Rs 155 million in revenue per day.
He extended gratitude to the apex court for allowing to use of its land for commercial purposes which would definitely boost the revenue of the department. Rules would be framed in this regard and sent to the Federal Cabinet for approval soon which would help exploit the commercial potential of Pakistan Railway lands.
Saad Rafique urged the relevant stakeholders to give maximum business to Pakistan Railways for freight which would not only ensure cargo mobility at an affordable rate but also save road infrastructure.
He said the Pakistan Railways would formulate rules for the approval of the cabinet in the next few days regarding the collection of revenue from its land.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan had become the 24th largest economy in the world under the leadership of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the delay in development projects by the previous government incurred irreparable losses on the country.
-- Inaugurates Green Line Express train service --
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated Green Line Express train service in the federal capital. According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Railways, the Green Line train will start its journey from Margalla station and have stops at Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri, Hyderabad and Drigh Road on the way. The state-of-the-art train will be operated with new coaches imported from China recently.
