Sindh, Federal Govt are on same page over KCR project says Rasheed

The Federal Minister of Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that the Sindh government and the federal government are on the same page regarding the Karachi Circular Railway.

During his visit to Karachi to overview the KCR project, the Railways will enforce the order of the Supreme Court in its spirit, he said.

Sheikh Rasheed said, “I will visit Karachi every fortnight as the work of the KCR going to begin soon.”

In the phase-I of the clearance work, the track has been cleared from City to Shah Abdul Latif Station.

“From overall 30 kilometers track, clearance work has been completed on 12 KM,” the railway’s minister said.

He said that more than Rs 10 billion is going to be spent on Karachi Circular Railway,  while 1.8 billion will be spent over the first phase of the work.

Talking about the encroachments on the railway land, Sheikh Rasheed said that the railways would fully implement the orders of the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court has ordered that the encroachments from the sides of the railway track be removed.

He said his department has been in contact with the provincial government and have no dispute over KCR project with the government.

He said the Sindh government has awarded a contract to the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to build necessary infrastructure like underpasses and overhead bridges at the level crossings.

Supreme Court Order

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court while hearing the case regarding the revival of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) ordered Pakistan Railways to get clear the land along the track.

During the proceedings, Pakistan Railways counsel told the court that the railway has submitted its report to the court over the matter.

Chief Justice Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed said that the pictures in the report explain nothing.

He added that in these photographs the land has seen under encroachments.

“How the train will run when the land adjacent to track has been under encroachment,” the CJP questioned.

“The path for running a train has been cleared,” CEO Railways told the court.

“Take tractor with you and demolish all encroachments,” the top judge said.

The court ordered Pakistan Railways to get clear the land along the railway track.

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