PM for framing strategy to expand rail links with C Asia
Chairing a meeting regarding Pakistan Railways in Islamabad on Wednesday, he noted that railway system is the backbone of any country's economy. He emphasized the need for a sustainable rebuilding of railway infrastructure across the country for economic and industrial development.
He stated that the development of railways on modern lines is a key component of the national policy for regional trade and connectivity. He also instructed to expedite the work of connecting Gwadar to Pakistan Railways network.
Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi briefed the Prime Minister on the ongoing reforms in Pakistan Railways. In a separate development, Pakistan Railways announced a reduction in train fares on Eidul Adha.
Pakistan, Afghanistan push ahead with UAP rail project
Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi announced a 20 percent discount on fares during the three days of Eidul Adha.
Pakistan Railways also ran five special trains on account of Eid.
According to the details, the first special train departed from Karachi Cantonment Railway Station for Lahore at 1:00 pm on June 2. The second special train had left Quetta for Peshawar at 10:00 am on June 3.
On the same day, the third special train departed from Lahore for Karachi at 5:00 pm while fourth special train left Karachi Cantonment for Rawalpindi at 7:30 pm.
The fifth and final Eid Special Train departed from Karachi Cantonment for Lahore at 7:30 pm on June 4.
Railways Police has issued instructions to all Superintendent of Police (SP) Railways to tighten security in trains as well as at stations to avoid any untoward incident during Eid-ul-Azha days.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Senate passes six private members' bills
ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan, on Monday, unanimously, passed six private members' bills. In a significant legislative development, the Senate, unanimously, passed six private members' bills, reflecting cross-party support on key issues. The Lower House passed six bills: the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition on Employment of Children Bill, 2022. The house also introduced 'The Fatima University of Science and Technology Bill, 2025.' The chair referred the bill to the relevant Standing Committee of the House. Senator Sarmad Ali withdrew his two bills; 'The Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill, 2025' and 'The Islamabad Capital; Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2021' through motion under Rule 115. The Senate deferred three bills on the request of the movers. These were 'The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (seeking amendment to Section 377 of PPC)', 'The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024', and 'the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025'. The object and reasons of The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, states: 'The amendment is proposed to prescribe qualification for private members, with an aim to ensure competence and effective management of the affairs and responsibilities of the Board, as well as, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.' The Clause four of the bill says, '(4A) The Members referred to in entry (7) of sub-section (2), shall be the persons of Integrity, possessing qualifications, and at least fifteen years' experience in public administration, economics, legal matters, finance, engineering or related technical fields.' The purpose of 'The Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2023' aims at prescribing the provision regarding oversight of Parliament upon working of the Council by submission of annual report in the both the Houses. According to clause two, 'The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024,' 'Rape, molestation or sexual intercourse of any kind to any human corpse. - Whoever commits rape, molestation or sexual intercourse of any kind to any human corpse shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than fourteen years and fine which may extend to one million rupees but not less than five hundred thousand rupees.' The Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims at prescribing the provision regarding oversight of Parliament upon working of the Commission by submission of annual report in both the Houses. The purpose of 'The Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Amendment) Bill, 2024'to include seven non-official members to be appointed by the federal government one each from the provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The object and reasons of 'The Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition on Employment of Children Bill, 2022', states 'Child labour is rampant in Islamabad Capital Territory. The children engaged in child labour are deprived of the pleasures of life. Most of these children are unaware of their basic rights as citizens of Pakistan and their access to education is also very limited. Due to economic pressures and hardships many adolescents are engaged in laborious jobs in the capital. The bill seeks to ban the employment of children but allows the employment of adolescents in certain non-hazardous tasks because imposition of complete ban on the employment of adolescents would deprive their families of livelihood as their parents find it hard to earn just enough money to live on, so they are left with no option but to depend on the income of their children. The bill also strives to provide protection to the adolescent workers as enunciated in different International Instruments and the Constitution of Pakistan. The bill aims to achieve the aforementioned objectives.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah case: Panel concerned over non-submission of challan
ISLAMABAD: Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming has expressed deep concern over non-submission of challan by the Balochistan Police in the recent honour killing case of Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah. The committee urged all the provincial governments to address gaps in the effective implementation of 'The Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Relating to Honor Killings) Act, 2016' to prevent recurrence of such heinous incidents in future. The 13th meeting of the Special Committee was held under the chairpersonship of Dr Nafeesa Shah, MNA. During deliberations on the Balochistan incident, the additional IGP informed the committee that the case was reported nearly 30–40 days after the couple was shot dead on the orders of a tribal jirga prior to Eidul Adha. The victims, who had contracted a love marriage, were lured by their families under the pretext of a feast, where they were informed of the jirga's decision. Following the circulation of a video of the killings on social media, the Balochistan Government registered a terrorism case as no application had been submitted by relatives or locals. The committee noted with concern the delay in prosecution and emphasised the urgent need for the submission of challan. While acknowledging the arrest of several accused, the committee called for intensified efforts to apprehend the main culprit who remains at large. The additional chief secretary, Balochistan, was directed to further refine the tracking system for all the criminal cases—from FIR registration to conviction—and to present the mechanism in the committee's next meeting. Expressing alarm at the rising incidence of honour-based killings in the country, the committee stressed that the persistence of such crimes stems from lapses in the implementation of the 2016 Act. It urged all provinces to strengthen enforcement measures to ensure justice and deterrence. The committee was also briefed by the IGP Sindh on a recent case of marital rape in Karachi. In July 2025, a 19-year-old Hindu woman, Shanti, passed away in hospital after falling into a coma, allegedly following brutal sexual violence inflicted by her husband only days after their marriage. Despite a reporting delay of nearly 20 days, the Sindh Police completed its investigation, submitted the challan in court, and secured the husband's confession. While appreciating the swift police action, the committee strongly condemned the brutality of the incident. Meanwhile, the committee also conveyed heartfelt condolences and expressed solidarity with the victims of the floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The meeting was attended by members Aqeel Malik, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, Shahida Begum, Shahida Rehmani, MNAs, and senators, Fawzia Arshad and Khalida Ateeb. Senior officers from relevant federal ministries, divisions, and provincial governments were also present in the meeting. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Rains, floods: PM pledges support to survivors
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday pledged the federal government's unwavering support for victims of the recent torrential rains and floods that have devastated parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as the country braces for more monsoon rains in the coming weeks. Chairing a high-level meeting, the prime minister announced that members of the federal cabinet would donate one month's salary to support ongoing relief efforts in the worst-affected districts of KP. 'In this hour of crisis, there are no federal or provincial governments,' the prime minister said. 'We must ensure the aid and rehabilitation of affected people.' He insisted that political divisions must be set aside, describing flood relief as a national moral imperative. 'Helping our disaster-struck brethren is our national duty,' he said. 'This is not the time for politics; it is the time to serve and to soothe the pain of the people.' Additional relief goods being dispatched on PM's order The prime minister directed all federal ministries and institutions to intensify support on the ground. He ordered federal ministers to personally supervise the restoration of electricity, water supply, road infrastructure, and essential services in KP, GB and AJK. Until the last person in the affected areas is assisted and the basic infrastructure is restored, Sharif declared, the relevant federal ministers will remain in the field. The meeting was briefed on the extent of the destruction. Preliminary reports from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) estimate damages of over Rs126 million to public and private infrastructure. A total of 456 relief camps have been set up and more than 400 rescue operations conducted across the region. Convoys of relief goods continue to reach affected communities, and Prime Minister Sharif instructed officials to prioritise aid to the most severely impacted districts. He also directed the NDMA to immediately present a final damage assessment and to prepare a comprehensive relief distribution plan. The prime minister appointed Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Amir Muqam to oversee the distribution of aid and rehabilitation work in the north. Meanwhile, the prime minister issued directives to the Minister for Communications, Aleem Khan, to personally monitor the restoration of roads and bridges, and to the Federal Minister for Power, Awais Leghari, to ensure the restoration of electricity in flood-hit areas on a priority basis. PM Sharif also stressed that the National Highway Authority (NHA) should make no distinction between national and provincial roads, and instead focus on opening all access routes to ensure the smooth delivery of aid. He also directed the Ministry of Health to dispatch medical teams and essential medicines to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to establish emergency medical camps, while the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is to be activated to assist affected families. According to NDMA forecasts shared during the meeting, the monsoon season is expected to continue until at least the second week of September, with two additional rain spells anticipated before the end of the month. Six major downpours have already caused extensive flooding across the region. The meeting was attended by several ministers and officials reporting live from disaster zones, including Amir Muqam from Swat, Minister for Power Awais Leghari from KP, and senior officials from Malakand and Gilgit. The prime minister concluded the meeting with a solemn prayer for those who had lost their lives in the flooding, and for the swift recovery of the injured. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
