ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s long-delayed Main Line-1 railway project is moving into a critical phase, with the Asian Development Bank set to finalize its design by October, officials said, paving the way for procurement and implementation.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Senator Ahad Cheema met with an ADB delegation to review progress on the project, focusing on the timely completion of the design and subsequent preparatory work, according to a statement released after the meeting.
The ADB told the meeting that its technical team and project consultants are actively working to finalize the ML-1 design within October. Once completed, the bank said it would work closely with the government to move forward promptly with procurement and other stages.
Cheema welcomed the progress and stressed the need for close coordination among all stakeholders. He said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attaches high priority to the ML-1 project and wants it to move toward implementation as soon as possible.
The minister assured the ADB delegation that Pakistan remains fully prepared to complete all its requirements promptly and provide necessary facilitation throughout the process. He also called for continued review of the implementation schedule to identify opportunities to optimize timelines while ensuring compliance with technical, legal and procedural requirements.
ADB representatives praised Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the project and said the bank would continue working closely with the government. They said requirements for subsequent processing and approvals, including consideration by the ADB Board, would be shared with the government on time.
The meeting was attended by ADB Country Director for Pakistan Emma Fan, the ADB deputy country director, Railways Secretary Mazhar Ali Shah, Economic Affairs Secretary Muhammad Humair Karim, the director general of planning at the Ministry of Railways, and other senior officials.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Pakistan and the ADB to maintaining close coordination for timely finalization of the project design and steady progress toward implementation of the ML-1 project.
