Daily Times

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Tuesday said robbers and thieves had been brought to book.

Speaking after paying his respect at the mausoleum of the country’s founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on his 142nd birthday, the federal minister for Pakistan Railways (PR) lamented unfortunately thieves became watchmen in the country. “Thieves, robbers and plunderers have been brought to book,” the minister said.

Sheikh Rasheed said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari may bear the brunt of his father’s politics. Referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s conviction in Al-Azizia reference, Rasheed said he was jailed for seven years in a weapons case but Sharif was handed mere seven years in jail despite what he said looting the entire world’s wealth.

He predicted that the ‘remaining thieves’ will go to jail before March 30. He added that PPP leader Khursheed Shah’s turn to be held to account would also come. “Those who have plundered the country’s wealth will be held accountable,” he asserted. The minister alleged that Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif was more corrupt than his elder brother Nawaz Sharif.

Later, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed along with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail inaugurated a freight train at Karachi Railway Station. The new Karachi-Lahore freight train will be run by Pakistan Railways under public private partnership. The freight train to be run between Karachi and Lahore will carry 2600 tons of load on daily basis.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that income of our freight was Rs18 billion (bn). He said that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project has become part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for which further deliberations are underway.

The minister further stated that talks were also in progress with China for laying new railway track between Karachi and Peshawar. Speaking on the occasion, Imran Ismail said Pakistan Railways had improved after being taken by Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. He said that low cost resources of transport were being made available for the people.

Published in Daily Times, December 26^th 2018.