Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi announced a $10 billion rail corridor project to connect Pakistan with Afghanistan and Central Asia. He revealed this at the launch of the AD Ports office. The project will build a railway line from Kohat to Mazar-e-Sharif, offering landlocked Central Asian countries access to seaports through Pakistan. Abbasi called this plan a potential “game changer” for regional trade.
He stated that feasibility studies would be completed by December 31, and $5 billion in funding has already been allocated. The government is also outsourcing freight and passenger terminals to private investors. Abbasi encouraged business leaders from the UAE and the overseas Pakistani community to invest in these ventures. Projects like Royal Palm in Lahore were mentioned as key opportunities.
Abbasi emphasized that the reforms aim to digitize Pakistan Railways and align with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s modernization goals. He noted that upgrades are underway on ML-1, ML-2, and ML-3 lines. Travel time between Lahore and Rawalpindi will soon be cut to 2.5 hours, marking a major step in rail improvement.
He also spoke about Pakistan’s growing diplomatic and strategic standing, especially with the UAE and the wider Muslim world. He credited Pakistan’s armed forces and leadership for achieving a “dignified victory” in recent challenges. He called it a win for all Muslim countries who supported Pakistan’s stance.
The event was attended by several federal ministers, including those of Information, Maritime Affairs, Commerce, and Science and Technology. The AD Ports Group presented commemorative souvenirs to the ministers at the end of the ceremony. Abbasi concluded with a message of unity and pride for Pakistan.