LAHORE, Nov 30: Minister of State for Railways Ishaq Khan Khakwani is not in favour of increasing rail fares. “The number of passengers will further decrease if the fares are increased again,” Mr Khakwani told newsmen before boarding the Rawalpindi-bound Tezgam at the Lahore railway station on Wednesday.

Presided over by Minister for Railways Mian Shamim Haider, a meeting of the PR high-ups at its headquarters here on Nov 10 decided to collect fuel surcharge on rail tickets.

“We have to explore other avenues to increase freight earnings so that the overall financial condition of railways could improve,” said Mr Khakwani.

Opposing the proposal to sell out more assets of the railways to meet the deficit, the minister of state asked what the organization had got by disposing of its valuables during the last five years.

“Its wrong to sell assets. We ourselves can utilize them and increase the income,” said Mr Khakwani while categorically denying any differences with Mian Shamim.

“I merely have a difference of opinion with Mian Sahib, but our goal is to improve the working of railways,” he said.

The state minister said work on the Khokhrapar-Monabao rail link upgradation was in final stages and would be completed according to the schedule by the end of next month.