09 March 2005	Wednesday	27 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, March 8: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday formally inaugurated the Karachi Circular Railway and said that a similar mass transit project like the one in Karachi would be started in Lahore.

Addressing at the inaugural ceremony, he said that Rs3.5 billion would be spent for the complete renovation of the circular railway. Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Arbab Rahim, federal and provincial ministers, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and others were present at the ceremony.

Shaukat Aziz said that Karachi was a metropolis with severe traffic problems and the government wanted to provide cost-effective transport facilities to the masses, therefore, the project for the renovation of the circular railway had been started. He said that the previous governments had neglected the railways department but the present government was paying full attention to it.

In the first phase of the KCR, trains will be run from City Station to Drigh Road Railway Junction after which the whole track in the city would be renovated and the project would be completed in a short span of time. The KCR's revamping, rehabilitation and integration with road transport and Karachi Mass Transit corridors would be done in the first phase.

The second phase includes dualization of KCR loop, extension of KCR to unserved location and electrification infrastructure for train operation. He said the dream had come true as it was just a little over four months when a task force was constituted for the revival of KCR. It had proposed a time table of 18 months to revive the KCR but the government could not wait that long.

"Today, my government is fulfilling the long cherished demand of citizens of Karachi," he said adding that the revival of KCR was his passion as he used to travel by this when he was a student.

Shaukat Aziz said that the government might induct a private operator to operate KCR while the government would provide enabling environment for its operation. After inauguration of the circular railway, the prime minister travelled in the train from City Station to Cantonment Railway Station. Federal ministers and several notables of Karachi also accompanied him in the journey.

Farooq, Ibad praised: The prime minister also appreciated Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and MQM MNA Farooq Sattar for their keen interest in Karachi Circular Railway's revitalization project. He said that they both worked hard to push ahead the project towards finalization.

INCONVENIENCE: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here Tuesday that he wanted Karachiites to face minimum inconvenience due to traffic jam caused by his movement.

Speaking as chief guest at the restart of Karachi Circular Railway, he said both he and President Musharraf fully realize the problem people faced. "We have some compulsions, but we try our best that people should not face any inconvenience due to our movement," he said.

Keeping this in view, the prime minister pointed out that on Monday when he was going to inaugurate the Karachi International Container Terminal he used helicopter to land at the Port and also returned the same way to avert traffic jam.

Referring to traffic jams caused on Monday after the conclusion of Sir Syed university's convocation, the prime minister pointed out that there were over 3,000 invitees who attended the function. Shaukat Aziz said after he left the venue, the traffic jammed due to the movement of some 1,000 cars of the convocation invitees. He said people were blaming "us for this, although we had reached at the other end of the city." - PPI/APP