KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar directed provincial transport department to finalise paperwork for Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project for forthcoming China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related joint working group (JWG) meeting. He issued directives while reviewing different projects of transport department in meeting at CM House.

Transport Secretary briefed CM that feasibility study of KCR project had been completed. Financing agency of KCR would be CPEC and project’s implementation, execution and operations would be carried out by Karachi Urban Transport Company.

Meeting was told that KCR was discussed between Pakistani authorities and Chinese delegation at 10th JWG forum in September to finalise updated feasibility study of project submitted to China Railway Authority.

He was told federal government had asked Sindh government to update/revise KCR Framework Agreement. Justice Baqar directed Transport Department to finalise framework agreement within next three days and report to him.

Executive Committee of National Economic Council last year in November approved Rs 292.4 billion funds for Karachi Circular Railway project with foreign share of Rs 263 billion.

Project envisages construction of 44-kilometre-long and dedicated track of modern urban Railway in Karachi starting from Drigh Road, passing through areas including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Federal B area, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, SITE and Lyari, according to state news agency.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 07 2023

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