ISLAMABAD, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- With recent revenue increases and infrastructure upgrades, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country has been focusing on modernizing railways to give impetus to economic growth.
"The digitization and modernization of Pakistan railways and the provision of state-of-the-art facilities would play a key role in strengthening the national economy," the prime minister said while addressing an inauguration ceremony on Monday.
He said that the government has been planning to upgrade all railway stations across the country, adding that a total of 54 railway stations have already been modernized, improving efficiency and supporting local businesses by offering a more cost-effective substitute.
Besides that, Sharif said the discussions with the Asian Development Bank for a 2 billion U.S. dollars loan are being held to further upgrade Pakistan railways line from southern Sindh province to southwest Balochistan, adding that the cooperation among the provinces needed to be enhanced to ensure modernization across the railway network and help stabilize the economy.
The center would work with all provinces to extend the railway network to Central Asia, the premier said, while highlighting the key Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway line project. ■
