PR seeks permission to decide fares

LAHORE - Pakistan Railways has sought permission from the federal government for deciding fare at its own, importing 150 locomotives from the US and 50 from China. Besides that the Railways has also asked the government to suspend Rs 42 billion overdraft, long-term loan and Rs 6 billion annual interest. On the demands of Railways officials, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has approved bailout package while directing General Manager Operations Ashfaq Khattak to discuss the issue with Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh. While giving briefing to the federal cabinet in Islamabad, Khattak said that the Railways had enhanced salaries and pension of employees by 50 percent while prices of fuel and other items had increased manifold. He said that the government had not given any grant for the rehabilitation of locomotives and stations damaged in the aftermath of assassination of Benazir Bhutto and devastating floods in the country. "Despite that Railways is being run as public utility service and not as business enterprise. Railways was keeping the train service functional on routes which are not giving any profit." Khattak said with the considerable increase in the diesel price, the railways was unable to meet the passenger and freight requirements on distant routes. Out of 500 locomotives, only 156 were operational. Now Railways has only 150 locomotives on passenger and 20 on freight sector while the govt has drastically reduced the grant.