RAWALPINDI: Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Sunday that an amount of Rs240 million would be refunded to passengers, who had booked tickets on different trains, from Wednesday if the decision of resumption of train service was not made by Tuesday.
“The Pakistan Railways is ready to run 30 trains in initial phase but the final decision to resume train service across the country will be made after a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. If the prime minister does not allow to resume the train services, the Pakistan Railways will start refunding tickets worth Rs240m it has sold to passengers in 15 days beginning from Wednesday,” he said while talking to journalists.
“Resumption of domestic flights and bus services has been allowed but the travelling facility for the poor has been denied permission. The Pakistan Railways provides travelling facility to the poor who cannot afford tickets of airlines,” he said.
The federal minister said that he was not subordinate to the provinces rather he was waiting permission of the prime minister as he was working under his leadership.
Rashid says he is waiting for permission of prime minister
He said that he would talk to PM Khan and federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar over matters related with the railways but would never talk to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as “I am not subordinate to him”.
Sheikh Rashid said that initially only one train, Jaffer Express, would be run in Balochistan.
“If the track to and from Karachi is opened then train service will resume. The railways do not belong to Punjab only but to entire Pakistan. I am not working under any provincial government,” he said.
The minister said that if railway operations would not resume in Karachi then it will become a problem for the Sindh government.
“Fifty per cent revenue of Pakistan Railways is earned during Eid holidays. The deficit of Pakistan Railways has reached Rs5.5 billion but it will pay pensions and salaries to its staff and pensioners before Eidul Fitr,” he added.
He said that if the train operations did not resume there are fears of more loss to Pakistan Railways.
Sheikh Rashid said that trains had been disinfected and other precautionary measures regarding Cocid-19 had been taken by the Pakistan Railways. Special guards will be deployed to protect the trains.
He said that he foresaw Imran Khan-led government completing its five years term. However, after July 31, “cleaning would be started on both the sides, left and right”, he added.
