ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said the final decision regarding resuming the operation of Pakistan Railways will be taken on Tuesday.
Addressing a news conference here on Sunday, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the decision will be taken after a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“If we resume train operations after 15 days, people will climb aboard roofs of trains [for travel] and then the public will taunt me that Sheikh Rasheed is responsible for spreading the virus,” the railways minister said.
The minister added if permission to resume operations was not given, he would have to tell the railway authorities to refund Rs24 million to the people within 15 days.
“What is the issue with running just one train Jaffer Express in Balochistan,” he said, adding that train operations will resume only if Karachi’s tracks are opened. “Railways does not only belong to Punjab, but to the entire country. I appeal to the Prime Minister to resume train operations. We are going into a deficit because this is a means of transportation for the poor,” he said.
Rasheed added he was waiting for a decision by the Prime Minister. “I can take the decision to resume train operations myself; however, the Prime Minister has not given me permission to do this.”
He added that he could not work on the SOPs the day after tomorrow. “If you give me permission [to resume train operations] today or tomorrow, I can work on SOPs. After that, I cannot,” he noted.
The federal minister added if train operations do not resume in the next two days, railways authorities will have to apologise to the people. “We have to give pensions and salaries to people before Eid.”
Earlier, DS Lahore said they would resume train operations across the country as soon as the green signal is received. “Thirty trains from four provinces will become operational as soon as we have the go-ahead,” he said. “No passenger will be allowed to enter the station without taking any safety precautions. Passengers have been asked to make sure they are wearing face masks, gloves and have sanitizers.”
He said that social distancing guidelines will be strictly followed. “The railway staff has been issued directions to strictly follow SOPs. Vending owners have also been told to take strict care of keeping their stalls cleans.”
A day earlier, the railways minister had appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to allow the resumption of rail operations ahead of Eid, saying that delays may result in a worsening of the economic crisis.
If no decision is taken by the incumbent government in the coming week, the railways authorities will not be able to control the rush at train stations across the country ahead of Eid, he had warned.
