LAHORE, Sept 5: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday inaugurated the first freight express train between Lahore and Karachi. He said the government would provide all financial assistance for railways improvement and modernization.

The prime minister said the railways would be made capable of meeting challenges both in freight and passenger sectors.

Punjab Governor Kalid Maqbool, Railways Minister Shamim Haider, Industries and Production Minister Jehangir Khan Tareen and Minister of State for Railways Ishaq Khan Khalwani were also present on the occasion.

“No country can make progress without promoting its means of transportation,” Mr Aziz said while inaugurating the train at the Cantonment Railway station here.

The high-speed freight train with larger capacity containers was introduced by the Pakistan Railways by entering into an agreement with the Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services (PRACS), a public limited company.

The prime minister said that the inauguration of the train marked an important milestone in the history of the Pakistan Railways.

“Freight service is lifeline of railways everywhere, as revenues are earned through this sector,” he added.

The prime minister said while the government was ready to provide all resources for modernization, the railways would have to ensure meticulous use of these resources to provide better facilities to both freight as well as passenger sectors.—APP