CPEC: No fault in ML-1 design, says Pakistan Railways

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Lahore: There is no fault in the design of the ‘Main Line one’ (ML-1) project to be completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Pakistan Railways (PR) said.

The PR maintained the design was vetted by the third party as well. A PR spokesperson contended in a statement issued here that the design of the ML-1 was faultless.

He mentioned that the Planning Commission also verified it through the third party which found it “perfectly good.”

He clarified that the cause of delay in the execution on the ML-1 project was loan negotiations with China which were ongoing at the higher level.

Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati earlier acknowledged that the progress on ML-1 track under CPEC was slow adding the completion of the project is vital for the future of the PR.

The minister noted that the documentary procedure on the ML-1 project had been completed.

“The accurate estimation about the entire costs can be gauged only after the tendering process starts. Only Chinese companies will operate on ML-1, which has been already decided,” the minister maintained.

He added: “All our documents are complete. I met the Chinese ambassador four months ago.”

National Assembly’s Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Chairman Sher Ali Arbab recently said the issues related to approval of the ML-1 were being solved on a priority.

“This is the project worth US $6.8 billion already approved by the government under the CPEC. The Chinese say the cost estimation for the project is not according to its components. They say it should be nearly US $8 billion or so. So we have asked them to revise. They (China) are now working on this,” he remarked.