Pakistan Railways is officially targeting January 2027 for the commencement of civil works on the crucial Karachi-Rohri section, marking the launch of the first phase of the ambitious Main Line-1 (ML-1) project. Addressing the National Assembly, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi confirmed that the $2.5 billion, 480-kilometre venture is moving forward with expedited market consultations, pre-bid preparations, and regulatory formalities to strictly adhere to the construction timeline outlined by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The corridor between Karachi and Rohri has been strategically prioritized for the initial phase of ML-1 due to severe infrastructure deterioration that has rendered it one of the country’s most accident-prone and maintenance-heavy routes. Alongside this segment, the administration has also identified the Rohri-Multan section as a high-risk sector plagued by aging tracks and vulnerable support systems. Minister Abbasi emphasized that the overarching objective of the modernization initiative is to fundamentally transform operational safety, significantly minimize derailment risks, and upgrade signaling, telecommunications, and track alignment across the primary trade artery.
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Shedding light on the pressing need for network-wide rehabilitation, the minister presented comprehensive statistics on rail accidents recorded between January 2022 and September 2026. During this timeframe, the national network witnessed 349 train derailments, with structural track defects identified as the primary catalyst behind the incidents. A further breakdown of the safety data revealed that 95 derailments stemmed from human error on the part of operational staff, while 64 incidents were attributed to mechanical flaws and defects in rolling stock. Out of the total recorded mishaps, formal departmental investigations into 331 cases have been successfully concluded, leaving 120 inquiries pending final resolution.
In addition to railway developments, the parliamentary session touched upon critical public health updates delivered by National Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal. In a written reply submitted to the House, the health minister reported that Islamabad recorded seven confirmed cases of dengue fever between June and September 2026, with no fatalities reported during the period. To contain vector-borne risks, local authorities registered 214 first information reports against violators of anti-dengue standard operating procedures, while proactive mosquito larvae prevention treatments were deployed across more than 1.293 million sites within the federal capital. Furthermore, the National Assembly was apprised that a comprehensive national strategy for HIV prevention and control had been successfully finalized for the 2026-2031 strategic window.