LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has alleged that Sheikh Rashid Ahmed caused a loss of Rs800 billion to Pakistan Railways before he was rewarded with the portfolio of interior ministry.

“It is unfortunate that the man who caused a loss of Rs800bn to railways in about three years has been rewarded with the interior ministry. This man not only caused a huge loss to the railways during his tenure [as the minister] but also made money,” PML-N’s Punjab president Rana Sanaullah said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

He called for legal action against Mr Rashid and “the one who selected him” for this financial loss to the railways. He said the government was involved in a number of scandals and it was time to get rid of it.

Condemning the increase in electricity charges, PML-N information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Mr Khan was looting the poor people by increasing the cost of electricity, gas, medicines and food items every other day.

She alleged that the government had planned another massive wave of inflation to rob the nation which was why the prime minister was so desperately “begging for negotiations” with the opposition.

Ms Marriyum alleged that looting of public money was under way through procurement of overpriced LNG. “When will Imran constitute a commission to investigate the delayed procurement of overpriced LNG and the daily loss of billions to the country? Imran patronises such theft of public money. He forms a commission to distort facts and then forgets about it altogether. It is Imran’s responsibility to guard the national exchequer, not to help mafias get away with looted national wealth,” she added.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020