Daily Times

Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, on Saturday, noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan had removed a minister he could not have imagined being asked to go.

He said this while addressing a press conference at Railways Headquarters in Lahore.

“Only one minister was kicked out, Asad Umar resigned from his post. I will speak to Asad Umar and ask him to remain a part of the cabinet,” he added.

The former finance minister was said to have strived to improve the state of the economy, however, the premier made the right decision.

The minister strongly advocated for the parliamentary system in the country, he asserted that we needed to take the constitution forward.

After working with so many prime ministers over the years, Rasheed maintained, he could safely say that PM Khan was working hard.

“The reason why everything is taking so long is that a captain takes time to set his team,” Awami Muslim League leader said.

He further added, “I can see Imran Khan completing his five years in office.”

“No matter what they [opposition parties] do, PM Imran Khan will complete his term,” he asserted.

On the other hand, the minister claimed to see no political future for Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari.

“Only Shehbaz Sharif is calling for an NRO,” he declared.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s political career was also said to end if he stood to protect his father’s corruption.

Rasheed also called railways and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the backbone of Pakistan.

Railways minister announced, “The Main Line One project will provide around one hundred and fifty thousand job opportunities.”

“After the completion of ML-1 project the travel duration from Lahore to Karachi will be reduced to eight hours,” he added.

Sheikh Rasheed said he would give good news after his return from China.

When asked about fiscal budget 2019-20, the minister said he did not know when it would be unveiled while adding that he would finalise the railway’s budget by April 24. He also announced plans of Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurating the Sir Syed train service.

Regarding the design of the ML-1 project, Pakistan and China were said to sign a preliminary agreement during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China.

Under ML1, trains would run with the minimum speed of 160km per hour.

Once completed, ML-1 would reduce travel duration between Lahore and Karachi to a mere eight hours.

He added the railway track going through seventy per cent of the country would improve the fate of the people while making noted that some elements were busy hatching conspiracies to not allow masses to benefit from the railway.

The minister expressed confidence in PM Khan’s policies, which would help the country tread on the path to progress and prosperity.

Stressing upon the significance of a sustainable economy for the development of Pakistan, he stated, “A country is torn apart not on its borders instead by frequent attacks on its economy.”

The amount of state’s money being spent on building roads and streets was also termed “a conspiracy.”

He gave an example of Russia to emphasise on the importance of the economy for any country and said that the country was disintegrated due to the economic crisis.

“When Imran Khan formed the government, the country’s resources were already plundered,” he maintained while making note that the premier would decide about the appropriate designations of the ministers.