Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is confident Pakistan will be able to stitch a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the current month to put the $7 billion loan programme back on track. He expressed optimism while addressing a ceremony held on the occasion of the launch of the Green Line train service between Islamabad and Karachi, reports WealthPK. He insisted the current grave economic situation could be averted once the IMF completed the ninth review of its loan prorgramme. An IMF delegation is likely to visit Islamabad from January 31 to February 9 to continue discussions regarding the ninth review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility. The prime minister emphasised the adoption of austerity measures at a massive scale to tackle difficult economic problems. He said the government had only allowed import of essential items like medicines and food, keeping in view the foreign exchange shortage.

Shehbaz Sharif said courageous nations stood united while braving the challenges with resilience. He endorsed the concept of outsourcing Pakistan Railways to make it better equipped and at par with contemporary services. The prime minister said Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track was a top priority for the government and mentioned that China was committed to its early completion. The new train service, comprising modern coaches imported from China, was launched from the Margalla railway station in the federal capital. The prime minister inspected various coaches of the train and appreciated the services provided to the travellers to make their journey comfortable. The Green Line train will have stops at the stations of Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri, Hyderabad and Drigh Road, Karachi. The turnaround time of the train is set at 22 hours, which will be reduced gradually.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk