A wrong approach

According to some news reports, the government is planning to borrow $16 billion to retire debts and trying to secure funding for the $7billion ML-1 railway project. It is difficult to understand why the government wants to push the country into an economic mess.

Why should we ask for foreign debts, which come with strict terms, when we can upgrade our railways on our own? We must establish manufacturing plants for rail tracks to achieve some self-reliance. Once we gain experience, we can further improve and expand our railway system. The PM should give top priority to self-reliance. Otherwise, we will never be able to stand on our feet and will always need foreign crutches for development and maintenance.

M Akram Niazi

Rawalpindi