ML-1 Railway project: PM, ADB VP discuss early groundbreaking

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged an early groundbreaking for the Main Line-1 railway upgrade, calling it a top national priority for freight logistics, regional trade links and industrial growth, according to Business Recorder. He raised the issue during a breakfast session with Yingming Yang, the Asian Development Bank's Vice-President for South, Central and West Asia, who was visiting Pakistan for the first time in that role. The talks covered the bank's long-running partnership with Pakistan and priorities under the Country Partnership Strategy for 2026-2030.

Sharif said upgrading the Karachi to Peshawar corridor would strengthen transport infrastructure and connectivity while backing large industrial initiatives. Both sides agreed the proposed priorities must become concrete projects, with early work on ML-1 treated as a key infrastructure goal. Sharif also commended the ADB's responsiveness in backing urban, transport and public service schemes.

On the economy, Sharif said reforms had restored macroeconomic stability and lifted investor confidence, pointing to stable outlook improvements from Fitch, Moody's and S&P. He added that dedicated execution task forces were being used to clear administrative hurdles and speed up development work. The discussion also touched on private-sector growth, energy security, export competitiveness, AI and IT cooperation.