SIALKOT, Aug 30: Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has extended the service of the Sialkot-Rawalpindi railcar to Lahore through Narowal to facilitate the traders and other people.
The step has been taken in the wake of the pressing demand of the Sialkot business community. Earlier, this train was running from Sialkot to Rawalpindi and back.
Speaking to a largely-attended meeting of the local industrialists and traders at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday, he said the service would start from Sept 6.
He also announced a special package of incentives for the local exporters and importers, including 50 per cent freight concession on all the cargo consignments at the Karachi railway station from the Sialkot dry port.
He said the railways was also ready to launch a bonded containers cargo service from Sialkot to Karachi and other big industrial cities in active collaboration with the Sialkot business community. Around 5,190 tons of export cargo is sent to Karachi every month by road which consumes a lot of time.
He also announced that a lower AC coach would be affixed to the Karachi-bound Allama Iqbal Express besides adding more bogies to the Bahawalpur-bound Samasatta Express. Efforts were being made to launch a direct train from Sialkot to Faisalabad.
Sheikh Rashid said the PR would soon privatise its sleeper bogies’ manufacturing factories for earning maximum revenue. He expressed grave concern of the condition of the rusty Sialkot-Narowal-Lahore railway track and said the PR would start repairing work on this track after completing repairs of the Hafizabad-Wazirabad-Sangla Hill railway track.
The railways minister said the Asian Development Bank had provided a special grant of $300 million to the PR for implementing various mega projects, including the construction of the double railway track between Lahore and Karachi and improved signalling system along the PR railway tracks.
District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema announced that a special launch ceremony would be held at the Sialkot railway station on Sept 6 for the inauguration of the extended service of the Sialkot-Rawalpindi train.
UNMANNED CROSSINGS: The railways ministry has prepared a special summary regarding the transfer of all the 4,000 unmanned level-crossings across the country under the direct control of the district governments, Sheikh Rashid said.
He said the summary would soon be presented before parliament for its final approval.
He said the PR was unable to handle such a large number of unmanned level-crossing gates as more than 8,000 gatemen were required for proper handling of these gates.
BUGTI’S BODY: Sheikh Rashid said the army and other law-enforcement agencies were busy searching the body of Nawab Akbar Bugti in Balochistan and it would take some time.
Addressing a press conference at the chamber, he said the body would be handed over to Bugti’s heirs.
He said the national and international observers would be invited to monitor the process of transparent, independent and peaceful general election in 2007.
Earlier, the minister inspected various railway stations in Wazirabad, Gakkhar, Gujranwala and Sialkot. He directed the authorities concerned to provide maximum facilities to the people.
EXHIBITION: The minister also visited the exhibition of the world’s biggest manuscript of the Holy Quran at the SCCI.
He appreciated the sincere efforts of Engineer Javed Iqbal who has made this stainless steel copy of the glorious Quran.