Swati vows to overcome Railways deficit in six months

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Railways Azam Swati Thursday vowed to overcome the budget deficit of Pakistan Railway within six months and said that Railways would be made a profitable entity soon.

Addressing a press conference here at Pakistan Railways (PR) divisional headquarters, he said till date Railways got Rs 1.2 trillion while it suffered Rs 20 billion losses during the last six months.

He showed determination to make PR a profitable organization by taking pragmatic steps including getting back the encroached lands and utilizing the property properly in vital interest of the organisation, adding that no more land would be sold.

Swati said that Railways employees had been getting Rs 5 to 7 million overtime and by the same mean the encroachment mafia was actively engaged in encroachment of precious lands of PR.

The minister said high-rise buildings would be constructed for Railways’ employees and the union would not be allowed to blackmail the administration anymore.

Referring to opposition protests, he said the opposition parties looted the country turn by turn during the few years, adding that now the government would end horse-trading in Senate elections.

To a question, he clarified that he didn’t gift any vehicle to PDM leader and MMA’s party chairman Fazl ur Rehman’s brother for getting a Senate ticket.