ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Railways (PR) Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed Saturdaysaid that railways earned Rs 1.1 billion more revenue in the freight sectorduring the last two months, compared with the same period of the previousyear.
Addressing a press conference at PR Headquarters here, he said that thedepartment would earn a revenue of Rs 10 billion due to untiring efforts ofits officers and employees.
The minister said that President Dr Arif Alvi will inaugurate DhabejiExpress, running from Karachi to Dhabegi
on October 31, whereas Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate HyderabadExpress, running from Karachi to Hyderabad, soon after his visit to China.
The PR would also start Rehman Baba and Sindh Express trains, he added.
He asked the administration of Karachi Stock Exchange (KSX) and others whowere using the land owned by Pakistan Railways worth billion of rupees, toimmediately vacate it.
Sheikh Rasheed said that WiFi facility had been installed at all divisionalstations, whereas cameras and PR police had
also been deputed at warehouses in order to protect PR’s stock and assets,he added.
He said that they wanted to launch the containers doorstep service withinnext three weeks to bring further improvement in freight sector, while inthis regard task force for freight trains had been directed to achieve settargets, he added.
The minister said that tracking devices on the modern system would beinstalled at all locomotives of railways to estimate the fuel consumptionand its report would also be uploaded on the internet for people, he added.
Sheikh Rasheed said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China wouldbe of great importance which would also be
proved very fruitful for Pakistan Railways as China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC) was linked with the PR.
The country’s economy could not flourish without Railway, he said and addedthat “when rail will run, economywill move ahead”.
To a question, the minister said that the previous government spent Rs400-500 million at Narowal station, the hometown of Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal, contrary to the fact that the station wasnot giving any mentionable earning to the PR.
To another query, he said that six trains had been launched during the lasttwo months, whereas six more would be launched soon, he added.
PR Secretary and Chairman Javed Anwar and other senior officers were alsopresent on the occasion. – APP