QUETTA: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Railways on Thursday discussed challenges being faced by Pakistan Railways in Balochistan and decided to take steps to improve the rail traffic in the province.
The meeting, presided over by the committee chairman Moin Ahmed Watoo, was briefed about the steps taken by Pakistan Railways for re-launching Quetta-Chaman passenger train which suspended its operations in March when Covid-19 pandemic hit Balochistan.
The committee was informed that the provincial governments had made construction on railways’ land without taking No Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Railways not only in Balochistan but also in other provinces.
It was further informed that trains on different routes in Balochistan were not running because of law and order situation since 2007, causing loss of billions of rupees to the organisation.
It was suggested in the meeting to reopen closed railway routes in the province to minimise losses being suffered by the Pakistan Railways in Balochistan.
The committee expressed concern when informed there was no railway track on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route in Balochistan.
“Three hundred kilometers of rail track is needed for movement of goods to and from Chaman as with the establishment of Chaman railway track, Pakistan Railways will earn billions of rupees’ profit every year,” PR officials told the committee.
The meeting was informed that the PR must prepare a comprehensive plan for developing and improving railway tracks in Balochistan and resume operations of trains in different areas of the province.
Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2020
