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PAKISTAN RAILWAYS MODERNIZATION TO PLAY KEY ROLE IN STRENGTHENING NATIONAL ECONOMY: PM Tuesday, 18 November, 2025 | 26 Jamadiul Awwal, 1447
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PM INAUGURATES NEW SHALIMAR EXPRESS, CIP LOUNGE AT KARACHI CANTT RAILWAY STATION
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KARACHI
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g VOWS TO MODERNIZE SAYS PAKISTAN RAILWAYS KARACHI CIRCULAR RAILWAY, WOULD BE TRANSFORMED UPGRADE ALL RAILWAY AS BEST TRANSPORT STATIONS ACROSS SINDH SYSTEM OF THE REGION
Staff report
RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that the digitization and modernization of Pakistan Railways and the provision of state-ofthe-art facilities would play a key role in strengthening the national economy. The prime minister expressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the new Shalimar Express and the newly upgraded waiting rooms, CIP lounge at Karachi Cantt Railway Station. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. The PM said the federal government, in collaboration with the Sindh government, would modernize the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and upgrade all railway stations across the province and the country. The prime minister said that soon after assuming office, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi worked diligently to modernize the railway system. After revamping Lahore Railway Station, now Karachi Cantt Station has also been upgraded with contemporary facilities. He said that all railway stations in the province would be modernized in coordination with the Sindh government to ensure better travel facilities for the passengers. He said like Sindh and Punjab, such coordination with the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan should be evolved which would ultimate
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make the Pakistan Railways the best transport system of this region. The Prime Minister said the Railways freight system is also being organized, while the Federal and Sindh Governments have a partnership to provide transportation for Thar Coal, with both governments investing 50% each in the project. He assured that all required funds would be released in this regard so that the set targets of the projects could be achieved. PM Shehbaz said the Shalimar Express running between Karachi and Lahore has been converted into a new, upgraded train. He described Karachi as not only the economic hub but also “the heart of Pakistan.” He reiterated that cooperation with the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan would continue to ensure
modernization across the railway network and help stabilize the economy. The Prime Minister praised Hanif Abbasi’s leadership, calling him the “hero of today’s ceremony,” and congratulated him for transforming the outdated railway system. He said the federal government would work with all provinces to extend the railway network to Central Asia, specifically highlighting the Uzbekistan-AfghanistanPakistan railway line project. He also emreviving the phasized Islamabad–Tehran-Istanbul rail route which would boost our economy to the heights. The prime minister noted that Hanif Abbasi has initiated discussions with the Asian Development Bank for a $2 billion loan to further upgrade Pakistan Railways line from Karachi to Rohri and ultimate it would be connected to Reko Diq project. Responding to CM Sindh Murad Ali
Shah’s request to include the KCR project in CPEC, the prime minister assured full cooperation, calling it a vital initiative. He said he had flagged the KCR project at every international forum and we would jointly revive it as this project was inevitable for the people of Karachi. He hoped this project would soon become a reality. The prime minister said that 54 railway stations have already been modernized, and once all stations—big or small—are upgraded, he would recommend a presidential award for the Railways Minister. Earlier, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said that under the Prime Minister’s guidance, significant improvements were achieved in just eight months, including the modernization of Karachi Cantt Station and the renewal of the Shalimar Express. He added that Rs 1 billion is being spent on upgrading Rohri Station, while work is also underway at Karachi City Station. The prime minister said that 14 trains are being outsourced under government policy, and railway hospitals and schools are also being given to private administration, while ensuring full protection for railway employees. Work on the ML-1 project is also progressing, he added. Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed the prime minister to Karachi and reaffirmed full cooperation from the provincial government. Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the new Shalimar Express at Karachi Cantt Station by cutting the ribbon and unveiling the plaque. He also inspected the modernization and digitization works.
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AJK Assembly elects Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as new premier MUZAFFARABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
A no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq was successful on Monday, with 36 members of the 53member Legislative Assembly voting in favour and two opposing it. Fourteen lawmakers abstained from the vote, while the two dissenting votes came from the PTI. Following the counting of votes, Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who presided over the session, announced PPP’s Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as the new AJK prime minister. Under the AJK Constitution, a vote of no confidence against the incumbent automatically counts as a vote in favour of the proposed successor. Rathore becomes the 16th prime minister of AJK since the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1975. The no-confidence motion was tabled by PPP lawmaker Qasim Majeed after a resolution was submitted to the Assembly Secretariat on Friday, signed by 25 lawmakers — 23 from the PPP and two from the PML-N. Haq attended the session, exchanged greetings with Rathore, delivered a speech, and then left the house. Citizens watched the assembly proceedings live on big screens installed outside the building. Haq’s defeat was widely anticipated, as the PPP had the assured support of at least 29 lawmakers, two more than the number required to pass the motion. The party’s strength had grown in October when 10 PTI forward bloc lawmakers joined the PPP, bringing its numbers in the assembly to 27.