ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday told the Senate that the country’s economic uplift was linked to development of Balochistan and therefore, a massive overhaul initiative were under different phases of feasibility to be kicked off through joint ventures and direct foreign investment endeavours.
He was expressing his views after the Upper House unanimously passed the resolution of Senator Samin Mumtaz Zehri stating, “Cognizant of the fact that the railway line and railway infrastructure in Balochistan is more than 100 years old and worn out; keeping in view the insufficient railway infrastructure in that province and the need to ensure that all the districts of the province get benefited from the development projects like CPEC etc; The Senate of Pakistan, therefore, recommends that the Government should take immediate steps for allocation of special funds under PSDPs to construct the new railway line and necessary infrastructure in the province of Balochistan in order to connect and enable all districts of province to get benefited from the development projects in the province.”
The minister informed that the Gwadar-Mastung was a 901-kilometer (km) railway route and Basima-Khuzdar-Jacobabad 387 km’s feasibility work was underway under ML-4 that would connect Gwadar, Turbat, Kalat, Hoshab, Dalabandin, Hoshab, Kech, Mastung, WASHUK, Basema, Sorab and Khuzadar which was connected to Besima-Jacobabad section.
The land acquisition for Gwadar modern container terminal development was completed and Rs16 billion were approved on June 7, 2024 for Mastung-Jacobabad railway routes’ project, he added.
Moreover, he said Gwadar, Nokundi, and Rekodiq link express route of 675km was conceived for new railway connections and the ML-3 feasibility study was underway for joint ventures and foreign direct investment prospects.
The feasibility study was underway for Bostan-Zhob rail route section restoration through D.I.Khan via Kotla Jam with Peshawar connectivity to provide brief rail route between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), he added.
The Sibi section of 242 km upgradation was underway whereas Rs 8 billion PC-I was approved by the Construction and Works Department whereas work would be started in the next financial year, he said, adding, “For Quetta-Taftan section 337km upgradation under ML-3 upgradation whereas Pakistan Railways is working out joint ventures to implement it,” he added.
He said these efforts were approved to bring country out of economic deprivation through the development of Balochistan.
Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar said infrastructure globally has become part of the identity of the nations. He pointed that the Karachi-Khuzdar route needs to be added to Karachi to Chaman road which was repeatedly ensured by the NHA and other departments that financing was being ensured through Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others. “This route has caused more deaths than those in war on terror,” he added.
APP/ajb-raz
