LAHORE, June 25: The task of making the Pakistan Railways a corporation by June-end has been delayed as departments concerned have failed to do the jobs assigned to them.

Railways Minister Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr had on April 15 told reporters here that the task would be completed by June 30.

“It can’t be accomplished overnight,” PR chairman Khurshid Ahmad Khan told reporters after inaugurating the Summer Vacation Special train at the Lahore station on Wednesday. “Operational charges, loans, assets, income and other aspects will have to be taken into consideration (for the purpose).”

Financial audit and many other assignments had been completed and now a few steps remained to be taken for satisfying the Finance Ministry, he said without elaborating when the task would be over.

About progress on the 120km Chaman-Kandahar rail link project initiated on the request of the Afghan government, he said feasibility report would be ready in the next financial year. Afterwards, search for a consortium would be launched for funding the project.

Mr Khan told a questioner that negotiations for deciding terms and conditions for a signalling improvement scheme were going on with a Chinese company, CMC, on suppliers credit basis.

Work would be commenced immediately after inking a formal agreement, he added.

About hiring private sector people for marketing against lucrative salaries, he said railway officials lacked required commercial approach.

He denied reports that the role of vigilance directorate, working under army officers, had been reduced. He lauded the services rendered by the directorate in curbing the menace of ticketless travelling and corruption.