Pakistan Railways Announces $2.5 Billion Karachi-Rohri Track

Pakistan Railways announced on Thursday a $2.5 billion project to construct a 480-kilometre railway track linking Karachi and Rohri. This initial phase of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) initiative is aimed at enhancing railway safety by reducing accidents, as reported by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi in the National Assembly. Civil works for the first phase are expected to commence in early 2027, as Pakistan Railways hastens market consultations, pre-bid preparations, and other steps to adhere to the deadline set by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Karachi-Rohri and Rohri-Multan sections of the railway network are identified as the most accident-prone, with ageing tracks often leading to derailments and necessitating frequent, expensive repairs. Between January 2022 and September 2026, Pakistan Railways recorded 349 train derailments, with faulty tracks being the primary cause, accounting for 95 of these incidents, while 64 were attributed to issues with rolling stock.

In a written reply, National Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal mentioned that Islamabad had reported seven confirmed dengue cases between June and September 2026, with no fatalities. Authorities filed 214 first information reports over breaches of anti-dengue standard operating procedures, and conducted mosquito larvae control measures at over 1.293 million locations.

The National Assembly also heard about a national strategy for HIV combat (2026-2031) and a programme for free screening, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C for eligible individuals aged 12 and above. During the session, the National Assembly approved the Life Insurance Nationalisation (Amendment) Bill 2026 and advanced the Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 for further debate.