LAHORE, July 13: The PML-N on Wednesday described the three-train collision at Ghotki as the worst ever in the world and called for a judicial inquiry to identify people responsible for the tragedy. The party’s provincial president Zulfikar Khosa said at a news conference that the railways authorities might order a routine departmental inquiry, which always led to the dismissal of some signalmen or guards. The scale of the tragedy was enormous which necessitated a judicial inquiry, he said.

Provincial secretary-general Syed Zaeem Husain Qadri was also present.

Mr Khosa said the railways minister should follow the tradition of the civilized world and resign immediately.

The PML-N leader was critical of the government for its failure to issue Mian Nawaz Sharif and his wife passports. He said in the beginning the government had given some positive signals, but then some ruling party leaders approached their ‘bosses’, crying out that issuance of passports to the exiled Sharifs would blight their chances in the local elections.

He said it was because of the vulnerability of the ruling party that the passport issue seemed to have been shelved for the time being.

Mr Khosa came hard on the government for its failure to deal with the long-predicted floods and start relief activities.

It was a common knowledge that because of the heavy rains this years monsoon would be severer, he said, but regretted that the authorities concerned had failed to put in place flood-fighting arrangements or do anything for the displaced.

The PML-N leader said a large number of people had lost everything in floods and were left with nothing even to eat. The DCOs, he alleged, were not doing anything for them despite the tall claims to the contrary.

He said the most ridiculous situation was seen in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts where a federal minister and his father were alleging that the government was doing nothing for the affected people. “The government is accusing the government of inaction,” he said sarcastically.

The PML-N leader said law and order situation in Dera Ghazi Khan division had slipped out of the government’s control and the “Mohsin gang” was operating there. Kidnappings for ransom had become order of the day and the government had failed to arrest the culprits. He said helicopters could be used to trace the accused if other means had failed. He said it was regrettable that the government was doing nothing to control price-hike. Ironically, he said, the government raised the petrol prices only a couple of days after the National Assembly had approved the budget. This pushed the prices of all essential items up, making it difficult for the poor to survive.

The PML leader told a questioner that his party would take an active part in the local elections. Local organizations, he said, had been allowed to make adjustments with opposition parties according to the situation.

He said in the local elections the PML-N would back the “Watan Dost group” candidates.