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Friday March 29, 2024

Saad asks media not to politicise rail accident

LAHOREPakistan Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has expressed disappointment with the media’s role in trying to create a controversy about the Gujranwala train accident that cost 19 lives and urged the media not to politicise the event before the final verdict by a joint investigation committee. Addressing a press conference

By our correspondents
July 14, 2015
LAHORE
Pakistan Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has expressed disappointment with the media’s role in trying to create a controversy about the Gujranwala train accident that cost 19 lives and urged the media not to politicise the event before the final verdict by a joint investigation committee.
Addressing a press conference here at PR headquarters, he said criticism was not fair on such a big operation rather there was a need to appreciation or encouragement. He was of the view that PR appreciated the role played by the media in highlighting the progress made by Pakistan Railways, however, the Gujranwala incident had been unjustly played up in the negative light without plausible evidence. Such media practices, he said, could be avoided.
He said that it was likely that the JIT would present its report before Eid and we should all wait for it instead of spreading disinformation. He said that facts should be shared and pinpointing bad things was right but baseless criticism would damage the national department and about 22.5 million passengers could leave railways which had got back on track after a big effort of two years.
He said the PR had successfully controlled its expenditures and brought down the deficit and a record figure had been achieved in freight and passenger sectors.
hoarding: On the direction of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a campaign is continuing against the profiteers, hoarders and those involved in short weighing. About 1,525 price control magistrates raided 8,753 shops and markets and 1,447 shopkeepers and traders were found involved in hoarding and other violations.
About 189 cases were registered against the shopkeepers and traders while 220 persons were arrested and a fine of more than Rs 2014,100 was also imposed on them. Maximum fine of Rs 474,500 was imposed on profiteering and hoarding in district Rahimyar Khan and a minimum fine of Rs. 2,300 was imposed in district Jhang.
In district Lahore, raids were conducted on 917 places and after registering 108 cases, 143 persons were arrested and a fine of Rs 128,000 was imposed. Raids were conducted on 2,111 places for checking weights and measures and action was taken against 192 shopkeepers and traders.
According to a monitoring report of Director General Industries, on the direction of Punjab chief minister, 636,249 kg sugar was provided at subsidised rate of Rs. 52 per kg. About 116,279 flour bags of 10 kg each at Rs. 310 per bag were provided while 870 flour bags of 10 kg each at Rs. 330 per bag and 3,298 flour bags of 20 kg each at Rs. 660 per bag were provided in the open market. About 154,558 kg chicken was provided at Rs. 236 per kg in Ramazan bazaars. Iftari was provided to 161,691 citizens at 1,813 Madni Dastarkhawans in collaboration with the government and philanthropists throughout the province.