ISLAMABAD: Ground work for the Karachi-Rohri section under the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project is expected to begin in July next year, a high-level review meeting on key Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects was informed on Saturday.

During a review of railway sector initiatives, a meeting on key PSDP projects was briefed on the ML-1 project’s status.

The meeting, chaired by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, reviewed the upgradation of 884km of Main Line-3 (ML-3) and the That Coal Railway Connectivity project, a strategic initiative aimed at improving logistics for energy supply and industrial development.

Mr Ahsan Iqbal directed the Ministry of Railways to submit a clear assessment of funding requirements for the next three years, stressing that “there should be no compromise on speed and quality in any of these strategic projects, as they represent long-term national assets and must be built to the highest standards”.

Ahsan pushes fast-track infrastructure projects

The Thar Coal Railway Connectivity project, with an estimated cost of Rs53.7 billion, consists of three packages, including construction of a new single-track railway line from the Thar coal mines to the new Chorr station over a distance of 105 kilometres, a new double-track line of approximately 9km from Bin Qasim to Port Qasim, while Package Three covers the development of a coal unloading pit at Port Qasim and Lakhra Power Plant station. The project is expected to be completed by June 2026.

The meeting also reviewed projects in highways, and water sectors, and the planning minister directed the relevant ministries to prioritise timely execution, quality assurance, and realistic financial planning for the next three years to ensure delivery of nationally critical infrastructure.

The meeting reviewed the National Highway Authority’s portfolio under PSDP 2025-26, which comprises 71 projects with a total cost of approximately Rs3,407 billion. Mr Ahsan Iqbal directed that the Sukkur–Hyderabad Motorway be completed within three years and be treated as a top-priority project. He further instructed that the work on the second phase of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) project should be expedited and completed by 2028 to save KKH from being cut off due to the Diamer Bhasha Dam lake.

Under the Public-Private Partnership framework, the planning minister emphasised the Sambrial-Kharian-Rawalpindi motorway, M-8 in Balochistan, and the Mashkel-Panjgur-Chadgi road projects as high-priority initiatives requiring accelerated implementation.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2025