The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Pakistan’s development priorities and helping accelerate institutional processes for the Main Line-1 (ML-1) Railway Upgradation Project. ADB President Masato Kanda made the commitment during a meeting with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Pakistan’s Governor to the ADB, Ahad Khan Cheema, on the sidelines of the bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 15. The discussion focused on advancing the railway project, strengthening development cooperation and improving access to financing for Pakistan’s priority infrastructure investments.
The ML-1 project is a major railway infrastructure initiative intended to modernise an important transport corridor in Pakistan. Its planned development is expected to strengthen regional connectivity and improve the country’s transport and logistics network. During the meeting, Cheema appreciated the ADB’s leading role in advancing the project and stressed the need to complete the feasibility study at an early stage. He also called for the procurement process to begin without unnecessary delays, highlighting the importance of moving the project forward from planning towards implementation. ADB’s commitment to helping fast-track its institutional processes is intended to support progress on the project, although the announcement did not provide a specific completion date or a revised implementation timetable.
The discussions also covered Pakistan’s wider development priorities and the future direction of cooperation under the ADB Country Partnership Strategy for 2026–2030. Cheema welcomed the approval of the strategy, describing it as a framework for a more focused partnership based on development impact and national priorities. The strategy is expected to guide engagement between Pakistan and the multilateral development institution over the coming years, with cooperation extending beyond individual infrastructure schemes to broader investment and development requirements. Both sides discussed the need to strengthen coordination so that priority projects can progress more efficiently and contribute to sustainable economic development.
A key area raised by the Pakistani delegation was the need to increase private-sector participation in the country’s development projects. Cheema called for an expansion of ADB’s non-sovereign operations in Pakistan, which can support private-sector investments without relying solely on direct sovereign borrowing by the government. He also highlighted the value of a stronger permanent on-ground presence for the bank to facilitate investment transactions and help develop a pipeline of public-private partnership projects. Greater engagement with private investors could help Pakistan mobilise additional resources for infrastructure and other development needs, while supporting the government’s objective of encouraging private-sector-led economic growth.
The delegation further emphasised the importance of affordable development financing and greater flexibility in the ADB’s lending framework. Access to suitable financing terms is important for Pakistan as it seeks to advance large infrastructure projects while managing broader economic and fiscal requirements. The government called for continued support for its development priorities alongside expanded private-sector operations. The discussion reflected Pakistan’s interest in making better use of multilateral development partnerships to secure financing, improve project preparation and encourage investment in sectors that support economic activity and connectivity. However, the meeting announcement did not specify any new financing amount or confirm a separate funding agreement for the ML-1 project.
Cheema also congratulated Kanda on his re-election for a second term as ADB president and acknowledged the bank’s longstanding partnership with Pakistan. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to strengthen cooperation, accelerate project implementation and advance shared development objectives. The immediate focus remains on supporting progress on ML-1, including the early completion of its feasibility study and the start of procurement, while exploring ways to expand development financing and private-sector investment under the 2026–2030 partnership strategy. The pace of progress will depend on the completion of required institutional and project processes, alongside continued coordination between Pakistan and the ADB.
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