LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi pledged to continue the Jaffar Express train operation to and from Balochistan despite attacks by the proxies of the neighbouring country.

“Our enemy (India) is attacking us again and again through its proxies, but we will never ever be afraid of them,” the minister said while talking to Dawn on Tuesday evening.

Mr Abbasi said the country’s brave armed forces killed, in Afghanistan, the mastermind of the fatal terrorist attack on Jaffar Express.

Earlier, while speaking at a ceremony on the passing out of the recruits of Pakistan Railways Police in Lahore, the minister said the country’s enemy tried hard to create fear, but none of the PR officials, FC and other security agencies bothered.

Minister says funds have been allocated for upgrade of Lahore-Rawalpindi single track to reduce travel time to 2.5 hours

He appreciated the PR police IG for ensuring merit in the recruitment of 1,500 new constables and officials in various cadres. “At this moment, we should not forget the martyrdom of the PR police’s 37 officials,” he recalled.

Later, the minister also visited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) and spoke to the business community there.

Mr Abbasi said that the entire rail network, including the railway stations, were being upgraded and 400km of new track was being laid and 484km were being uplifted. He said that Rs2 billion had been allocated for upgrading the Lahore–Rawalpindi single track, with plans to reduce travel time between both cities to 2.5 hours.

“Development works are underway at major stations including Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Rohri. Approval for the Rohri–Karachi upgrade worth Rs2 billion will be granted in July. The Narowal section and Lodhran station are also being uplifted, while a 2,500km plantation from Shahdara to Raiwind will help improve the environment,” he explained.

“Coal trains are being increased while PR will ensure efficient transportation of industrial materials, including the Reko Diq production,” he said, adding that for the uplift of railways in Balochistan, Rs3.5 billion had been released.

LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said that upgrading railway lines was a welcoming and critically important step. He said that the state-owned enterprises had massive potential, but weak governance caused annual losses of Rs800 to 900 billion.

He said that Pakistan’s economy had derailed and in such conditions, it was essential to strengthen the transportation sector, because transport was the oxygen of any economy. Industrial zones must be connected with the railway network to reduce logistics costs and make exports competitive, he advised.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2025