LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday inaugurated the non-stop and luxurious Jinnah Express train in Lahore. The train will ply between Lahore and Karachi, covering the distance in 15 hours.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the prime minister said development of railways would lower the pressure on roads and promote tourism, besides providing affordable, comfortable and speedy travelling facility to the common people.
Imran Khan said he is going to China next month and will seek Chinese cooperation for up-gradation of Main Line-I from Karachi to Peshawar and for development of railway technology. The PM regretted that the operationalization of the railway track in Pakistan had decreased by 2,000 kilometers since the British era in the sub-continent.
Referring to the basic facility of health, the prime minister said the government has started Insaf Health Card scheme from the poorest of the poor, , adding that every salaried person should have a health insurance card in order to get free medical treatment.
Earlier, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, in his address, claimed the department has repaired 200 coaches and ran 24 new passenger trains. The minister added that the Lahore Railways Station has been renovated at a cost of Rs25 million.
He announced to launch Sir Syed train in a month’s time, adding that a train would ply on the upgraded ML-I at a speed of 160-220 kilometres per hour, reducing the Lahore-Rawalpindi travel distance to about two-and-a-half hours.
