SUNDAY TIMES LAHORE: During a press conference in Lahore, Rasheed announced that 20 new trains will be inaugurated in 2019 instead of 15. “A new railway station is being built in interior Sindh. 200 shops will also be built on the station.”
He added that a 24 hour ticketing system has proved to be profitable and anyone who purchases a ticket three months in advance might be given some discount as well. “The profit amounted to 39,000 tickets in one month due to round the clock ticket service. Two new freight trains will start operating from tomorrow.”
Shedding light on no tolerance on corruption, the railways minister said any officer who does not work up to par will be sent home.
He also announced to begin a “VIP train service” whose fares will be higher. “Five star services will be provided on the VIP train. There will be three ticketing categories though.”
Before concluding his media talk, Rasheed said he is penning a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan against Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Shehbaz Sharif who is accused in 121 corruption cases. “I will request him to include me in the PAC.”
It is pertinent to note that Shehbaz is not permitted to preside over meetings where projects during the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government will be audited and brought under discussions.
The PML-N president was elected Chairman of the PAC in a meeting of the committee at Parliament House in Islamabad on Dec 21. The PAC unanimously elected Shehbaz as its chairman.