KHAIRPUR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member of the National Assembly Nafisa Shah, who is also the party’s central information secretary, has asked Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed to step down for failing to avert a large number of train accidents that have taken place during his current tenure.

She was speaking to the media after inaugurating the regional blood centre at the Khairpur Civil Hospital on Saturday.

MNA Shah said that the responsibility of the heavy casualties caused in the train accidents rested on Shaikh Rasheed, who appeared incompetent to run the railways affairs. She recalled that an Indian railways minister had tendered his resignation immediately after a major train accident, adding that Shaikh Rasheed used to give such examples off and on in the near past.

Ms Shah noted that as many as 47 train accidents had already taken place in the country during the current tenure of the railways minister but he was not ready to relinquish his post. Therefore, she said, Prime Minister Imran Khan should act now by removing the railways minister to save the lives of more railway employees and the people travelling by train.

Regarding survival of the Senate chairman in a no-confidence move of the joint opposition in the house, Ms Shah said “we [PPP and allies] accept the defeat but what emerged from the contest is that the selected prime minister wants a selected person to head the Senate as well”.

She criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for failing to check inflation and price hike. She pointed out that the prices of petroleum products as well as electricity and gas tariffs had been increased once again though they had already been unbearable for the poor masses. This spiral of price hike must come to an end now, she stressed and asked the federal government to immediately provide relief to people.

She also spoke about the growth of the Khairpur Medical College (KMC), saying that it was a dream of her father [former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah] that Khairpur should have a good medical college and the dream came true with its establishment and growth. However, she added, the institution still faced the issue of registration and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) recognition. She said the matter was discussed with the Sindh government, which had now pledged provision of all required facilities and equipment to the college to help it qualify for registration and recognition.

Regarding the unrest among the teaching and non-teaching employees of the college, Ms Shah said fruitful talks had been held with the faculty members who had tendered their resignations in protest against the unavailability of due facilities.

She welcomed their positive response and hoped that the matter would be resolved amicably soon.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2019