Corporate-Style Reforms Essential to Make Railways Profitable, Self-Sufficient: PM
Mian Nadeem
Published October 07, 2026 | 05:48 PM
Railways’ commercial potential can boost the department’s revenue and benefit the national economy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said while chairing a review meeting on reforms in Pakistan Railways and directing officials to present a comprehensive plan on railway land’s commercial viability and funding options within two weeks.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2026) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to accelerate reforms in Pakistan Railways and progress on the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, stating that corporate-style reforms are crucial to transforming the railway system into a strong, profitable, and financially self-sufficient institution.
Review Meeting on Pakistan Railways Reforms
A review meeting on reforms in Pakistan Railways, chaired by the prime minister, took place in Islamabad. The gathering focused on the ML-1 project, the utilization of railway land, and measures to enhance the institution’s financial and administrative performance.
The prime minister expressed appreciation for the efforts of teams from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Ministry of Railways, working under the NAB chairman’s leadership, in identifying and retrieving encroached railway land.
He emphasized the significance of upgradation of the ML-1 for the development of Pakistan Railways, the provision of better travel facilities to passengers, and the increment of freight transportation.
Shehbaz Sharif directed that the ML-1 project's construction should be advanced through the effective commercial utilization of railway land valued at billions of rupees.
He noted that unlocking the real commercial potential of railway properties could increase the institution’s revenue and positively impact the national economy. The prime minister also approved in principle obtaining bank financing through various commercial projects on railway land to fund the ML-1 construction.
He instructed relevant authorities to deliver a comprehensive plan within two weeks, outlining the commercial potential of railway land and funding opportunities.
The meeting was informed that the 1,726-kilometer ML-1 project had been divided into four sections: Karachi-Rohri, Rohri-Multan, Multan-Lahore, and Lahore-Peshawar. Officials disclosed that international financing was being leveraged for the upgradation of the Karachi-Rohri section, while funding for the completion of the remaining sections was being arranged through domestic resources.
Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Hanif Abbasi, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, NAB Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt, and other officials attended the meeting.