The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Pakistan’s flagship Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at modernizing the country’s rail network and improving regional connectivity.
The commitment came during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and senior ADB officials, including Vice Presidents Yingming Yang and Fatima Yasmin, at the bank’s headquarters in Manila.
During the meeting, Dar described the ML-1 project as one of the government’s top infrastructure priorities under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s agenda. He requested the ADB to expedite the processing of the project while continuing to lead the consortium of lenders supporting its financing.
ADB officials reiterated the bank’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan, saying the ML-1 project would play a transformative role in upgrading the country’s railway network, strengthening regional connectivity, and supporting long-term sustainable economic growth.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in infrastructure development, climate resilience, regional connectivity, and other development priorities, reaffirming the more than six-decade partnership between Pakistan and the ADB.
On the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Manila, Dar also held separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, regional security, trade, energy, connectivity, and Pakistan’s engagement with key international partners.
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