ISLAMABAD (APP) - Ministry of Railways has been directed to chalk out a comprehensive plan for salvaging Pakistan Railways, improve service quality and make it a profitable organization by managing it along professional lines. Senate Standing Committee on Railways made this observation during its meeting on Tuesdya under the Chairmanship of Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan. It expressed its concern over ever increasing revenue losses and falling standards of service. It instructed the Ministry to work out a bail out plan for retrieving Railways lands, which are being encroached upon by professional land grabbers and 'Qabza groups. It asked the Ministry to explore the possibility of constructing shopping malls and parking lots etc. on these lands to generate revenues for cutting its losses. The Senate body called for expediting Railways link to Gwadar for facilitating movement of goods. It suggested that the pensionary liabilities of the organization may be met by profitably investing gratuities etc. and the Railway workshops may be used on commercial scale by taking up assignments from the private sector. The committee instructed Railways to examine the possibility of designing and managing mass transit systems in the major cities of the country and use of Railways for promoting tourism. Earlier, the Secretary Ministry of Railways outlined the huge deficit i.e. Rs. 35 billion over draft with State Bank of Pakistan, low market share, poor image, lack of credibility, aging assets and continuously increasing deferred maintenance along with lop sided government policies as the major ills which plague the once profitable and efficient Pakistan Railways. He went on to add that ineffective organizational structure, vacuum in long term planning, lack of business and commercial orientation and non responsiveness to changing market needs are some of the other problem areas. He said that their total debt stands at Rs. 56 billion out of which Rs. 35 billion is domestic and Rs. 25 billion is foreign debt. High oil prices and dollar parity along with salary and pensionary obligations are playing havoc with Railways finances. He suggested that ticketing must be privatized urgently along with out sourcing, repairs and maintenance. The Committee apprehended if urgent steps are not taken to save Pakistan Railways from the brink of precipice, this organization will be lost forever. The Chairman and Members of the Committee assured that they would support reforms provided Railways have the will to implement turn around plan. It also assured that it would take up and help resolve the issue of Railways land with the Provinces. The meeting was attended among others by Senators Khatu Mal, Dr. Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Pervaiz Rashid, Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Syed Javed Ali Shah and Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi besides Secretary Ministry of Railways and senior officials of the Ministry.