Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday pinned hope that Pakistan and the Intrnational Monetary Fund (IMF) would ink an agreement regarding release of the latest tranche under the ninth review of the bailout programme.
"We are making serious efforts to come out of tough circumstances," he said at the inaugural ceremony of Green Line Express train. The premier said the government was trying to save every single penny to prevent the economic crisis. "The IMF delegation will be visiting Islamabad from Jan 31 to Feb 9 to continue discussions regarding the ninth review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF)."
He said considering the dire situation of the foreign exchange reserves, the government had developed a list of items that needed to be imported based on their necessity. Mr Sharif added that the list included food and medical items.
The prime minister emphasised the adoption of austerity at a massive scale to tackle difficult economic problems. He said the government had set its priority keeping in view its foreign exchange reserves, thus allowing the import of medicines and food as essential items. He said courageous nations stand united while braving the challenges with resilience. The premier expressed confidence that with dedication and commitment, the country would soon regain its glory.
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Commenting on Green Line Express train service, the premier said the foundation-laying ceremony of the project was held during his elder brother Nawaz Sharif’s tenure but like other projects, this one also failed to go through. He regretted that the Green Line project was delayed by the previous government. He endorsed the concept of outsourcing Pakistan Railways to make it better equipped and on a par with contemporary services.
The prime minister said the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track was a top priority for the government and mentioned that China was committed to its early completion. He pointed out that the previous government indulged in baseless accusations of corruption against Chinese companies, and stressed that the coalition government was working on restoring the ties.
The new train service comprising modern coaches imported from China was launched from the Margalla train station, Islamabad. The prime minister visited various coaches of the train and appreciated the services provided for the travellers to make their journey comfortable. The turnaround time of the Green Line is set at 22 hours, which will be reduced gradually.
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