LAHORE - Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday said that Maryam Nawaz had destroyed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the alleged video of Judge Arshad Malik will impair former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s case.

At his weekly press conference here, he said incarcerated former premier will be sentenced in both cases if ruling is reverted. Politics on the basis of videos has now ended in Pakistan, he stressed.

The minister hoped that everything would go well as Prime Minister Imran Khan was going to meet US President Donald Trump and both leaders shared same nature.

He said the Pakistan Army and judiciary were custodians of democracy and security of Pakistan.

He said judges were honest, respectable and truly professional and they should not be made controversial by any party.

Replying to a question, he said that upcoming 90 days would be important in the national politics. He predicted that Senate chairman election would be very tough, however, Sadiq Sanjrani once again would win it. To a question about strike by traders, he said that peaceful strike was right of every citizen.

Says next 90 days to be very important

Earlier, talking about the recent train accident in Rahim Yar Khan, he expressed his sorrow over deaths of 24 people. He said action against driver, assistant driver of the train and station master had been started over negligence.

“All divisional superintendents have been directed to complete interviews for drivers’ recruitment so that shortage of drivers could be dealt with.

The minister said the current railway administration had reduced Rs 5 billion deficit and six million more passengers expressed their trust in the railways.

He said a new train Mianwli Express from Lahore would be introduced soon. He said the railways had collected damaged 278 coaches from several places and out of them 100 coaches would be reconditioned. He said that escalators for old people would be installed at railway stations.

“Our main focus would be on improvement of the track in future which would be a milestone in history of the railways,” he said.

The minister said that cameras would be installed in the locomotives for security of trains. He added that all railway crossings would be changed with underpasses or flyovers for safety of the people.

He said infrastructure of the railways was neglected during the last 10 years.

The minister said that M-2, M-3 and M-4 would also be upgraded soon and tenders in this regard had been floated in newspapers.