KARACHI: Raja Nasir Ali Khan, the minister of tourism and sports for the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, said Pakistan wanted to use the Dubai Expo to showcase the country’s tourism potential and attract Gulf nations to a planned winter sports festival this year, particularly to participate in a desert rally.
Gilgit-Baltistan is home to the Himalayas and the world’s second highest mountain K2. In 2018, it was listed by Forbes among the 10 “coolest places” to visit. The region’s economy is largely dependent on tourism and was severely hit last year as outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel curbs deterred tourists from flocking to GB’s glacial lakes, valleys and 8,000-meter-plus peaks.
This year, the government is banking on the arrival of a large number of tourists on account of fewer coronavirus infections and the loosening of domestic travel restrictions as well as visas on arrival for 65 nationalities.
From Gulf nations, Pakistan hopes people will come to participate in a rally in the Sarfaranga Desert, also known as the Skardu Cold desert, the tourism minister told Arab News.
Located at a height of 7,500 feet, it is the world’s highest desert where car rallies have been held for the last many years.
Khan said Pakistan had set up a huge pavilion, costing $28.72 million, at the Expo 2020 Dubai which will kick off next month, and hoped to use the platform to showcase the country’s “tourism potential” for winter and summer sports, particularly before Gulf countries.
“The people [from Gulf nations] will have opportunities to get firsthand knowledge of what we [Pakistan] have to offer them in northern parts of the country,” Khan said. “We will showcase our products like dry fruits and handicrafts and gems stones.”
“Through Dubai Expo 2020 our target is Gulf countries as we want their people should participate in the cold desert rally,” he said, adding that 150 drivers and over 100 bikers had participated in the last event.
Khan said he expected participation to increase by at least 50 percent this year as coronavirus rules had been relaxed.
“We want international participation, especially from Arab countries, for the event,” the minister said.
Pakistan hopes Dubai Expo pavilion will attract Gulf nations to desert rally this winter
https://arab.news/wrqth
Pakistan hopes Dubai Expo pavilion will attract Gulf nations to desert rally this winter
- Sarfaranga Desert, located at a height of 7,500 feet, is the world’s highest desert
- A car rally has been held in the ‘cold desert’ for the last few years
Pakistan Railways targets $3.6 billion revenue amid track expansion, service upgrades
- Government plans new railway lines and modern trains with security cameras, Wi-Fi and dining cars
- Revival of a robust railway system is seen as key as Pakistan pushes to become a regional trade hub
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has set a target of generating Rs 1 trillion ($3.6 billion) in revenue by June as the government expands railway tracks and upgrades passenger services with amenities such as Wi-Fi and modern dining cars, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said on Tuesday.
Pakistan Railways was once the backbone of long-distance travel and freight movement across the country, connecting major cities and ports soon after independence. However, decades of underinvestment, aging infrastructure and competition from road transport led to a steady decline in services and reliability.
As Pakistan seeks to position itself as a regional trade and transit hub, the government has renewed focus on rebuilding a robust rail network for both passengers and cargo.
“Pakistan Railways has set a target of achieving Rs 1 trillion in revenue by June 2026,” Abbasi said, according to an official statement. “Pakistan Railways will be transformed into a modern, safe and profitable organization,” he added.
The minister said work has already begun on digitization, outsourcing, construction of new railway tracks and improvement of passenger facilities.
He said the Asian Development Bank has approved a $2 billion loan for the construction of a 480-kilometer new railway track between Karachi and Rohri, a project expected to cut travel time by at least five hours.
Groundbreaking for the project is planned for July 2026, with completion expected within two and a half to three years.
Under the Reko Diq project, Abbasi said work is underway on a 900-kilometer railway track from Rohri to Nokundi, including construction of 500 kilometers of new track and upgrading of 400 kilometers of existing track.
The 87-kilometer Nokundi–Taftan line has also been included to strengthen rail connectivity with Iran.
The minister said a 54-kilometer People’s Train route is being launched in Balochistan at a cost of Rs 4 billion ($14.4 million), while eight regional routes will be developed in Punjab.
Provinces have also been offered the option to operate branch lines, with Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan allocating funds and consultations underway with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Abbasi said Pakistan is also advancing rail connectivity with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran and that the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul railway service will be launched after security clearance.
Passenger services are being upgraded alongside infrastructure expansion, he continued.
“Cleanliness and improvement work at Rawalpindi Railway Station has been completed, while three prime trains have already been upgraded, and more trains will be upgraded by June 30,” the minister said. “By December 31, all major trains will be upgraded, featuring security cameras, Wi-Fi, hostesses and modern dining cars.”
He added that Wi-Fi routers have been installed at railway stations, ticket booking has been enabled through the Rabta mobile application and a 1,700-kilometer fiber-optic network is being laid.
Karachi and Lahore railway stations are being upgraded for security, while progress is underway on a Rs 8.9 billion ($32 million) digital systems agreement with the Frontier Works Organization and a $85 million project with DP World at Pipri Yard.
Abbasi said 155 railway stations have been shifted to solar energy and Pakistan Railways recently recorded its highest-ever daily revenue of Rs 300 million ($1.1 million).
The minister also said a new Lahore–Rawalpindi track, backed by provincial funding, will cut travel time between the two cities to about two and a half hours once completed.
