Royal Palm, Shalamar Hospital cases to be taken up with CJ: Rashid

LAHORE: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that Pakistan Railways will take up the cases relating to Royal Palm, Shalamar Hospital and Business Train with the chief justice of Pakistan and National Accountability Bureau for fast trial to find a solution.

Talking to reporters at Railways Headquarters here on Saturday, he said people had occupied railways land worth billions of rupees without paying anything. About criticism of “NAB-tainted politicians”, he said, “Those with us (in the government) should be given a double dose.”

Sh Rashid also claimed he had reports of recovery of looted money kept by some Pakistanis in other countries, though the amount was not big. He refrained from disclosing further details, saying he was under oath not to make such secrets public. To a question, he said he did not know to which question Prime Minister Imran Khan talked regarding U-turn. He, however, lamented the media was not friendly towards the government. “Media is not friendly towards us. We are not receiving the kind of love we deserved,” he added. He also claimed the media in the country was not facing any censorship.

To another question, he said he met Ch Nisar at a wedding and he (Nisar) would not be joining PTI or PML-N. Saying he had been part of different governments in the past, Sheikh Rashid claimed that no visit to China had been as successful as the recent one led by Imran Khan.

He said the incumbent government did not talk “the dollar-way” which Ishaq Dar (former finance minister) used to do. “China has given more to Pakistan than it desired,” he added. He also announced 50 per cent concession in fare for students from December 25, 2018 to January 10, 2019 as a gift for winter holidays.

He said railways would launch mega projects at Rohri by building a new railway station, a platform and a plaza with 100 shops to meet the expenses of the railway station. He said RailCop, a subsidiary of railways, had been given a target of Rs 1 billion profit annually. He said the department would achieve it target of starting 10 new trains during the first 100 days of the incumbent government. He said six new trains had already been launched while the prime minister would be inaugurating four more trains on Nov 23.

He said no one could match the kind of efforts Imran Khan was making to put the country on track. He said that owing to the kind of corruption which was rooted in the country, it was hard for country to regain financial stability within the first 100 days of the government. “For Pakistan Railways alone we need one year,” he added. Answering to a question, the minister said CPEC was a strategic pact and there was no dispute between Pakistan and China over the upgrade of ML-1 track. He added 70 to 80 per cent labour force for the project would be from the Pakistani side. He said the entire track would be fenced and the train speed would be 160km p/h. Pakistan Railways would also get rid of around 2,800 crossings on the track. He also said ML-1 master plan would be received soon and added China would also gift the design and preliminary feasibility of ML-2 and ML-3 to Pakistan. Terming railways the backbone of the CPEC, he said a CPEC team from China would be coming to Lahore next week.

Sheikh Rashid said work on 56km curve on the track from Gujjar Khan to Jhelum would be started soon to bring it down to 19km. “This will save at least one hour travel time between Lahore and Rawalpindi,” he added. He said a three-member committee had also been formed to investigate all cases of derailment since he assumed the office.

The minister said railways had already advertised 155 posts of sub-engineers while 11,000 vacant posts would be advertised on Nov 21 with December 11 as the last date to apply for that.

He said arrangements would be made for special persons to trains while specially designed washrooms for them would also be established.

He said the number of freight trains bringing financial incentives had been increased from 8 to 10.