KARACHI: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that Pakistan Railways is now looking towards the Sindh government to do its share of the work regarding the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) because PR has done its bit already.

Addressing a press conference at his camp office here on Adam Road on Saturday, he said that 14 kilometres of the KCR track from the City Railway Station to Orangi Town had been cleared.

“The construction of overhead [bridges] and underpasses lies with the Sindh government now,” he pointed out.

He also said that 15 of the 40 KCR train coaches were ready. “Pakistan Railways will have readied all 40 of them by the time the Sindh government builds the over and underpasses,” he said.

Encroachments on PR land

About the issue of encroachments on railways land, he said that they had approached the Supreme Court to resolve the matter.

“Tijori Heights [an under-construction residential project] is one of these encroachments, too. We are talking to the people who are encroaching railways land. Hopefully, something can be worked out,” he said.

Says PR wants to have a track from Peshawar to Jalalabad, Afghanistan

The minister said that they had floated several tenders for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-related projects.

“The best cost offer that we received is now going to be used by us as the threshold for other tenders,” he explained.

He said that railways will be increasing the salaries of its technical staff by 25 per cent.

He added that all PR pensioners who have not seen their pension in six years will soon be paid pension regularly, and it will be equivalent to grade-16 employee pension.

Another announcement made by him was that the PR wanted to have a track from Peshawar to Jalalabad. “That way trade can happen from Karachi to Jalalabad, Afghanistan,” he said.

He said that he had given five freight trains to the private sector and seeing how well they were running them he intended giving then 12 more.

“When they are running them successfully and Pakistan Railways is running them at a loss, then of course I will give their operations in the hands of the private sector,” he justified.

Slams Maryam Nawaz’s aggressive politics

Commenting on the political scene, Sheikh Rasheed said that in his entire political career he had never seen politicians give more importance to “judo and karate” instead of talks.

“Maryam Nawaz’s politics is based on judo and karate, which is taking her into a narrow and dark lane,” he said.

Talking about Gilgit-Baltistan elections, he said that not accepting the results of the elections would be bad politics.

He also said that the Pakistan Peoples Party would not go with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. “Bilawal is being quite responsible. And he has made it clear that the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] is not against the army,” he said.

Finally, he said that he was sure that Imran Khan would complete five years as prime minister.

“I know this already and it will also become clear to you by February 20, 2021,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2020