Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday pinned hope that Pakistan and the Intrnational Monetary Fund (IMF) would ink an agreement regarding release of the latest tranche under the ninth review of the bailout programme.   

“We are making serious efforts to come out of tough circumstances,” he said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Green Line Express train. 

The premier said the government was trying to save even a single penny to prevent economic crisis. The IMF delegation will be visiting Islamabad from January 31 to February 9 to continue discussions regarding the ninth review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

He said considering the dire situation of the foreign exchange reserves the government had developed a list of items that needed to be imported based on their necessity. Sharif added that the list included food and medical items. 

The prime minister emphasized the adoption of austerity at a massive scale to tackle difficult economic problems.

He said the government had set its priority keeping in view its foreign exchange reserves, thus allowing the import of medicine and food as essential items. Sharif said courageous nations stand united while braving the challenges with resilience.

The premier expressed confidence that with dedication and commitment, the country would soon regain its glory.

Commenting on Green Line Express train service, the premier said the foundation laying ceremony of the project was held during his elder brother Nawaz Sharif’s tenure but like other projects, this one also failed to go through.

He regretted that the Green Line project, which was initiated during the tenure of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was delayed by the previous government in a mala fide.

He endorsed the concept of outsourcing Pakistan Railways to make it better equipped and at par with contemporary services.

The prime minister said Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track was a top priority for the government and mentioned that China was committed to its early completion.

He pointed out that the previous government indulged in baseless accusations of corruption against Chinese companies, and stressed that the coalition government was working on restoring the ties.

The new train service comprising modern coaches imported from China was launched from the Margalla train station, Islamabad.

The prime minister visited various coaches of the train and appreciated the services provided for the travellers to make their journey comfortable.

The turnaround time of the Green Line is set at 22 hours, which will be reduced gradually.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister for Railways and Aviations Khawaja Saad Rafiq said the ticket would cover breakfast, lunch, hi-tea, and dinner besides wifi. Apart from this, he said, high-quality bedding and utility kits will also be provided to the passengers.

He said around 2,200 passengers would benefit from the train service to be run between Islamabad to Karachi.

He said Pakistan Railways would formulate rules for the approval of the cabinet in the next few days regarding the collection of revenue from its land. He stressed

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan had become the 24th largest economy in the world under the leadership of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the delay in development projects by the previous government incurred irreparable losses to the country.

— Inaugurates Green Line Express train service —

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated Green Line Express train service in the federal capital.

The newly-inaugurated tram will travel between Islamabad and Karachi. 

According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Railways, the Green Line train will start its journey from Margalla station and have stops at Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri, Hyderabad and Drigh Road on the way. The state-of-the-art train will be operated with new coaches imported from China recently.

The turnaround time of the Green Line is set at 22 hours which will be reduced gradually. 

On the instructions of Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq, breakfast, lunch, hi tea and dinner will be provided to the passengers during the journey in the ticket price.