PM not ready to give NRO despite my suggestion: Rashid

LAHORE: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said that all plunderers were about to form an alliance, but it can shatter in just an hour if Prime Minister Imran Khan allows the corrupt politicians to leave the country.

Addressing a press conference at Railways Headquarters here on Saturday, the minister said he had advised the premier to let the corrupt leave the country, but he said he would not. Imran Khan is trying hard that the corrupt don’t get an NRO (deal), the minister added.

Sh Rashid said he had told people that Shahbaz Sharif was trying to get an NRO. “Now Asif Zardari is in the line,” he claimed. He said while Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif would not return the looted money, Asif Zardari might, as he had the courage to do so.

Acknowledging that there was inflation in the country, he said problems being faced by the country were actually caused by the corrupt politicians. About the recent derailment of a freight train, he said he would himself go to Sukkur and check the track as that was the second incident of derailment in that area.

Sh Rashid said in order to facilitate passengers on Eid, Pakistan Railways would run five Eid special trains. He said maximum encroachments would be removed from Circular Railway in Karachi in 15 days, while all-out efforts would be made to clear all encroachments in a month.

He said that in order to lessen burden on Lahore (city) Railway Station, Jaffar Express, Pak Business Express, Khyber Mail and Tezgam had been allowed to make stopover at Lahore Cantt Station.

He claimed that Pakistan Railways earned profit of Rs5 billion through passenger trains, adding that some 1,000 stalls would be set up at railway stations.

Agencies add: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid said PC-1 for Main Line-1 (ML-1) project was ready. He said the incumbent government was free of corruption and that’s why foreign investment was pouring in. He said it had been decided to build up Railway Constructions Pakistan Limited (RAILCOP).

To a question, he said 20 out of 30 trains were running on profit and four were making a little loss, which, he said, would be managed.

The minister said some powers didn’t want railway track expansion up to Gwadar. He said he wanted to see China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) operational at the earliest. He criticised the PPP government over outbreak of AIDS in Sindh.