Daily Times

The Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Transport Sector Group, Chen Chen, on Tuesday met Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal to discuss Pakistan’s transport infrastructure development.

The ADB delegation comprised senior officers and specialists from the Transport Sector Group, while the Ministry of Planning was represented by Member for Infrastructure Waqas Anwar and senior infrastructure department officials, said a news release. The meeting focused on the ADB’s ongoing support for Pakistan’s transport sector, future development plans, and the challenges facing the sector.

During the meeting, the minister emphasized the importance of road and rail connectivity projects, noting that the country was in the process of finalizing a comprehensive regional connectivity multi-modal plan. He welcomed the ADB’s input in this regard, stating that it would greatly enhance the work already completed by Pakistan.

While discussing the 2022 floods, the minister highlighted that Pakistan suffered $30 billion in damages. Ahsan Iqbal lamented the inadequate international response, noting that critical programmes in education, health, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) had to be repurposed to address flood relief efforts. The minister stressed that Pakistan should not bear the brunt of conventional financing losses due to the disasters, particularly as it did not receive sufficient support from nations responsible for exacerbating climate change.

Ahsan Iqbal expressed Pakistan’s strong interest in enhancing the capacity of its railways through modern technology and emphasized the need for prioritizing connectivity projects that align with the National Agenda Reforms. He also urged the revival and review of several key projects related to railways, transport, and maritime infrastructure that had been approved in 2018 but were stalled under the previous government.

Additionally, the minister recommended that the ADB establish a knowledge-sharing system to allow countries around the world to easily access and learn from its models and experiences.

Both sides discussed in detail the Multi-Tranche Financing Facility (MFF) for road projects and expressed their commitment to collaborate on future endeavours in the sector.