Minister urged to start work on Karachi, Hub railway link

KARACHI: The Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq to order work on laying railway tracks between Karachi and Hub in order to facilitate about 50,000 daily commuters between the two cities, said a statement on Monday.
On the occasion of Chinese President’s visit to Pakistan, the LCCI President, Yakoob H Karim said multi-billion dollar projects are being executed in the region with the support of China while provision of infrastructural facilities including railway network are being ignored.
He said introducing railway link between the two strategically important cities would not only benefit the industrialists but also increase Pakistan Railways’ income significantly as about 50,000 passengers, mostly skilled labours working in Hub industrial area will commute to Lasbela on a daily basis. The railway link will reduce the cost of workers and goods, thus reducing production cost, he added.
Karim said earlier, when the proposal was tabled, the railway authorities took the proposal seriously but after the formation of an interdepartmental committee no further progress was made.
The Chamber is confident that by starting the train service between Karachi and Hub, Lasbela would provide an incentive for local and foreign investors to set up commercial and industrial units in the region. He said present minister for railways should take the lead to execute the historic project.