ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday stressed the need for revamping, restructuring and corporatizing Pakistan Railways. Prime Minister Aziz said it was the only way to organise the public sector entity on professional lines to make it an efficient, modern and profit-making organization. He said it was also necessary to improve the logistics chain, punctuality and services standard.

He was chairing a meeting at the PM House to review the implementation of goals and targets of the ministry for 2004-07.

“With the growth in economy, we need to build a world-class logistics chain,” the prime minister said. Terming railways one of the most cost-effective means of transportation, he said its revamping would give a boost to business activities.

Expressing concern on Pakistan Railways’ declining revenue, the prime minister directed the Railways authorities to improve their market strategies for better use of their resources besides preparing a master plan for the optimal use of its surplus assets like Railways lands.

He also asked them to improve their services, develop projects for public-private partnership projects and benchmark against international practices. The prime minister appreciated various initiatives undertaken by the Railway Ministry such as providing facilities carrying cargo directly to wharf.

The prime minister reviewed the progress on the construction of the Mirpurkhas-Khokrapar border section track and instructed the Railways officials to complete Monabao-Mirpurkhas link before Dec 31, adding that the track should be tested for a month and be operational by Jan 31.

He also called for expediting the feasibility and the construction of rail links from Bostan-Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan-Kalat-Kohat to Peshawar. He said the project would open up the area and create new economic opportunities for Balochistan and the NWFP.

Railways should modernize its services, provide better facilities for travellers and movement of cargo and consider the option of acquiring locomotives on lease and their local assembly, including transfer of technology. —APP