ATTOCK: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project will modernise the railway system and accelerate economic activity in the country.
The prime minister said this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the upgraded Hasan Abdal Railway Station on Friday.
The premier said that the multi-billion dollar ML-1 project will be executed with the cooperation of China. After completion, he added, the distance between Karachi and Lahore will be covered in seven hours.
“The project will be an important step towards self-reliance,” the PM stated, adding that the country is heading in the right direction as all economic indicators are on the positive trajectory.
Railways will play an important role in Pakistan’s economic development, he remarked. Imran Khan said the project will create massive job opportunities and will significantly contribute to economic development.
He noted that trains are a cheap and comfortable mode of travel throughout the world. “But unfortunately, Pakistan railway was not developed by the previous governments.”
The premier said with the upgradation, Hasan Abdal Railway Station will now provide better facilities to all passengers, including Sikh yatrees. He said the government is striving to make things easier for the Sikh community, “which will fully be facilitated at the Hassan Abdal Railway Station”.
Underlining the need to promote the country’s tourism sector, the PM said that worship places of the minorities, including Hindus and Sikhs, should be renovated so that people from different religions visit Pakistan in large numbers.
“If we improve tourism, there will be no need to ask for a loan from anyone. I want Pakistan to become a country that does not have to beg anyone,” he asserted.
Earlier, the prime minister was briefed on the facilities being offered at the upgraded Hasan Abdal Railway Station.
Speaking on the occasion, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that local resources were utilised for the upgradation of the Hassan Abdal Railway Station.
“The ML-1 project is very important for the development of railways,” Rashid said, noting that a reduction in the electricity tariffs for industries is an important achievement of the government.
The British-era railway station in Hassan Abdal has been upgraded to a two-storey structure, with 24,502 square feet of covered area. The boundary of the railway station covering a total area of 101,610 square feet, including passengers’ facilities, was also improved.
Water plants and a new tube well have been constructed to provide clean and cold water to the passengers, while a 300KV generator was installed for uninterrupted power supply at the Hassan Abdal Railway Station. A canteen and a cafe were also set up near the waiting area.
