The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects to complete the design of Pakistan’s Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project by October, marking a key milestone before the multibillion-dollar scheme enters its procurement phase.
The update came during a meeting between Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Senator Ahad Cheema and an ADB delegation, where both sides reviewed progress on the country’s flagship railway modernisation project and discussed the steps required to keep it on schedule.
According to an official statement, the ADB informed the meeting that its technical team and project consultants are working to finalise the project’s design within October. Once the design is completed, the bank will move ahead with procurement and other preparatory stages in close coordination with the Government of Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by ADB Country Director for Pakistan Emma Fan, ADB Deputy Country Director, Secretary Railways Mazhar Ali Shah, Secretary Economic Affairs Muhammad Humair Karim, the Director General Planning of the Ministry of Railways, and senior officials from relevant ministries and departments.
Senator Cheema welcomed the progress achieved so far and stressed the need for continued coordination among all stakeholders to ensure the remaining work is completed without unnecessary delays.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif considers the ML-1 project one of the government’s top infrastructure priorities and is keen to see it move into the implementation stage as early as possible.
The minister assured the ADB that Pakistan would complete all responsibilities on its side within the required timelines and provide every possible facilitation to support the project’s progress.
He also called for regular reviews of the implementation schedule to identify opportunities for accelerating the process wherever practical, while ensuring that all technical, legal and procedural requirements are fully met.
The ADB delegation appreciated the government’s commitment to the project and reaffirmed its support for working closely with Pakistani authorities throughout the next stages.
The delegation also informed the meeting that requirements related to future processing, including approvals by the ADB Board, would be communicated to the government in a timely manner to avoid delays.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to maintaining close coordination to complete the project design on schedule and steadily advance the ML-1 project towards implementation.
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