LAHORE: Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Saturday announced that police will begin checking tickets at all railway stations across the country within 15 days.
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. The PAC comprises of 23 members of the lower house and six members of the Senate.
The government and the opposition last week agreed over a formula for formation of the standing committees in a meeting of parliamentary leaders chaired by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar.
The deadlock between the opposition and the government over the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee came to an end after the government conceded the opposition’s demand and agreed over the nomination of Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif as the chairman of the account committee.
