ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed authorities to upgrade Pakistan’s railway freight facilities, as Islamabad eyes increased use of rail transport to conserve fuel amid the Middle East conflict.
Pakistan has turned to enhancing its rail transport capacity after the Middle East war involving the US, Israel and Iran pushed global oil prices higher and disrupted key energy shipping lines worldwide.
Islamabad was forced to hike petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter this month, making road transport costly. Pakistan’s top commerce body warned this week that with commercial vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has drastically reduced, prompting shipping lines to impose crippling war-risk surcharges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Pakistan Railways steering committee in Islamabad to discuss the reconstruction of the railway infrastructure in the country, his office said in a statement.
“The prime minister directed Pakistan Railways to upgrade its freight facilities, noting that in the current regional context, the use of rail freight for transporting goods has become indispensable for saving fuel,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
