ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Sheh-baz Sharif on Wednesday called for expanding the country’s rail network to enhance trade links with Central Asian countries. While presiding over a meeting on railways, the premier instructed Pakistan Railways to expedite efforts to connect Gwadar with its network. Earlier, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi briefed the prime minister on ongoing reforms in the railways department, saying that the organisation had immense potential for further investment. He highlighted the establishment of modern information desks at major railway stations, outsourced cleaning systems at Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan railway stations, collaboration between his department and provincial food authorities to monitor food quality at trains and stations, and the resumption of long-suspended services. Hanif Abbasi briefs premier on railway projects, plans to outsource assets The minister told the meeting that Bolan Mail had recently been relaunched as a daily service, besides the restoration of Dera Ghazi Khan Express and Khushhal Khan Khattak Express. Outsourcing, auction Mr Abbasi said concrete sleeper factories in Sukkur, Khanewal, and Kohat, and railway hospitals, schools, colleges, and rest houses in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and Sukkur were being outsourced. Moreover, Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, Lahore, is being auctioned with the potential to establish a five-star hotel and the digitisation and restructuring of the Railways IT directorate was underway. He highlighted that free Wi-Fi was introduced on trains; Rabta App upgraded for ticket booking; 155 railway stations shifted to solar, saving millions; 17,101 posts cut, 5,695 more to be phased out; and Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services, Rail-cop, Pakistan Railways Freight Transport Company, and Project Implementation Unit discontinued. It was told that Rs10 billion railway land had been reclaimed and planning with Punjab was in progress on Lahore-Rawalpindi high-speed train, station upgrades, and suburban services. Besides, the Sariab-Kuchlak and Quet--ta-Chaman sections will be upgra-ded. MQM delegation Later, a MQM delegation, led by convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, called on the prime minister. The prime minister consulted the MQM delegation regarding the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026. The delegation presented its proposals concerning the budget. PM Shehbaz said that providing top-notch transport facilities to the people of Karachi through the Green Line project was among the top priorities of the federal government. He said work on mega water (K-IV) project of Karachi would be expedited while instructions had already been issued to accelerate work on the Karachi-Hyderabad package as well. The Muttahida delegation included Mustafa Kamal, Aminul Haque, Farooq Sattar, and Javed Hanif, PM Office said. In a separate meeting with a delegation led by Belarusian Defence Minister Lt-Gen Victor Khrenin, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan desired to strengthen econo-m--ic partnership with Belarus and benefit from country’s expertise in agricultural machinery manufacturing, adds APP. The seven-member delegation included Belarusian ambassador Andrei Metelitsa, commander of the Belarusian air force and air defense and officials from the Belarusian defence ministry. The premier said that cooperation with Belarus in IT and defence sectors would be further strengthened. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be departing for an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Thursday (today). Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2025