May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

SUKKUR, May 21: Train service was briefly suspended at different railway stations of Sukkur region on Wednesday when the railway employees resorted to strike against the kidnapping of an assistant station master who was kidnapped by dacoits on April 29.

The assistant station master of Madeji railway station, Nizamuddin Ghanghro, was kidnapped by dacoits when he was on duty and despite passing of 22 days police has failed to recover him.

On Wednesday the railways employees of Sukkur region resorted to strike after which many trains remained stranded at different railway stations from 6pm to 07.30pm.

The affected passenger trains were: Khushal Khan Khattak Express stopped at Shikarpur railway station, Shahnawaz Express stopped at Bali Shah railway station in Dadu, Shah Rukn-i-Alam Express stopped at Mehrabpur railway station, Hazara Express stopped at Nawabshah railway station and 32-down stopped at Padidan railway station.

Meanwhile, the general manager of Pakistan railways Asad Saeed, who was at Sukkur, held negotiations with the railways workers’ leaders and assured them that, all-out efforts were being made for early and safe recovery of Nizamuddin and on this assurance the strike was called off, after which the trains departed to their respective destinations.

The trains, stranded at Rohri, Mehrabpur, Nawabshah, Shikarpur and other railway stations on Wednesday evening due to the strike of railway employees, especially assistant station masters, have departed to their respective destinations on 7.30pm.