ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate was informed on Wednesday that the government has targeted upgradation of 21 railways stations in the country with a total outlay of Rs1,956 million to be spent during the next three years.
During question house in the Upper House of the Parliament, the Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique told the House that Pakistan Railway plans to induct 250 new passenger coaches to provide better travelling facilities to the commuters.
The minister said that about 180 coaches will be locally manufactured in Carriage Factory Islamabad. He said that a tender for procurement of 800 high capacity hopper wagons for transportation of goods is in progress out of which, 595 wagons will be manufactured at the carriage factory.
In reply to a question, Saad Rafique said that the Chinese side has expressed the commitment to upgrade Peshawar-Karachi rail line by 2020 under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman told the House that the United States is to provide Rs519 million for various projects to counter narcotics.
The Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch told the House that 319 new schemes have been included in the Annual Development Programme for Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA).
Moreover, the Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada said the government is serious for implementation of Urdu as the official language and for this purpose a committee consisting of federal ministers has also been constituted.
