ISLAMABAD, Mar 7 (APP):Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Khan Swati said on Monday that he and his team was fully determined to take Pakistan Railways to new heights of glory as billions of rupees would be generated from running brand campaigns on trains.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of train branding here, followed by a press conference flanked by Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Railways Senator Muhammad Qasim and Secretary Railways Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani, the Minister said that railways and the corporate sector entered into a collaboration based on a transparent and win-win situation.
Swati said that a branding policy based on security and longevity, as required by every businessperson or investor, would soon be approved under his own supervision.
He said that without the cooperation of corporate sector, it would be impossible to make Pakistan Railways a profitable entity. The minister assured the corporate community that the present contracts would not be affected from any policy changes of the future governments.
Swati said that that they were striving hard to utilize the dormant resources for the uplift and betterment of Pakistan Railways and said that railways were the key to economic development.
He also said that it was equally important to prevent leakages due to corruption. He said that his government had made the railways police independent so that they could perform their duties without any political pressure or hindrance. This would also help prevent theft of railways scrap which was going on for the past 70 years, he added.
He said that independent Railways Police would also be able to apprehend the black sheep within the railways department without having to fear any backlash.
He said that despite the fact that he had been in the seat for only one year and three months, his performance would speak when the Profit and Loss Account of Pakistan Railways would appear before the public on the 30th of June that year (2022).
He even said that despite very limited resources he and his team would not only bring the railway out of deficit but would soon make it a profitable entity. The minister claimed that he would have surpassed India’s former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad if only he had the resources.
Swati said that the fares and freight charges would also be reduced once the railways started making increased profit. He also expressed hope to start soon the passenger train connecting Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul-Moscow and Central Asia.
Responding to media queries intended to gauge the government’s preparations to counter the opposition parties’ long march, the minister said that the government was well prepared and ready for the opposition’s long march.
“The biggest challenge for the opposition is to initiate the vote of no confidence”, he said that the only reason opposition got together was because the prime minister stopped their business based primarily on corrupt practices.
Answering another question, he said that the opposition was destined for humiliation and defeat as plunderers of national exchequer would end up in anxiety and failure.
Almost Rs85 million have been received by the Ministry as token money from three different firms interested to invest in branding initiative of the Railways.
