ISLAMABAD:  Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Wednesday, in response to a calling attention notice, begged his fellow lawmakers to allow him to improve his ministry.

“Every parliamentarian with a constituency along a railway line demands for the train to stop and facilitate their voters. Such demands have landed Pakistan Railways in its current deplorable condition,” he said to his colleagues.

Three Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmakers Ayaz Soomro, Nazir Ahmad Bughio and Ramesh Lal had moved a calling attention notice to draw the minister’s attention to the Bolan Mail train no longer stopping at Naudero, Sindh. The lawmakers said the train no longer stopping at Shahnawaz Bhutto Railways Station is causing “grave concern” amongst the public.

The minister informed the house that Pakistan Railway had decided that a number of trains would no longer stop at certain stops, to improve their timings. “It’s common sense and simple economics that a train should not stop for just a few passengers. Therefore, I request all MNAs to allow us to make decisions to let Pakistan Railway become an effective mode of transportation and bear its own expenses,” he said.

Published in Dawn February 12th , 2015

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