LAHORE: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said on Thursday that illegal occupation of Royal Palm Golf and Country Club had ended with the orders of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, and now Ferguson, a private audit company, would conduct its audit.

Addressing a press conference here at Railways headquarters, he said now the railway land would only be given on three-year lease purely on merit and asked the railway officials to start work in this regard.

He said two VVIP trains would be launched before March 23, 2019, adding that two economy trains and two AC business trains would also be made operational.

The minister said that it would be a great achievement with the blessing of Allah Almighty when 20 freight trains of Pakistan Railways would become operational.

The ML-1 project was at its last stages and a committee comprising seven officers had been formed in this regard. These officers had been authorised to take decisions, he added.

He said that new track of broad-gauge would be laid from Karachi to Peshawar, while the removed track would be used at different places in the country.

Regarding Karachi Circular Railways (KCR), he said that people had been given 25-day notice to vacate the railways land.

Responding to a question, he said that the Business Train and Shalimar Hospital cases had been sent to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and he would personally pursue the cases.

To another question, he said that he had reservations regarding appointment of Public Accounts Committee chairman.

He said he did not see the role of Zardari family and Nawaz Sharif family in politics any more.

He said that Imran Khan assumed power at a time when the country needed a person like him to free it of corruption.