'Railways suffering Rs 28 billion deficit due to weak policies of past regime'

Pakistan Railways is suffering a deficit of Rs 28 billion due to weak policies of the previous regime, said Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, here on Wednesday. Talking to the reporters at a local hotel after attending National Conference on "Future Vision of Pakistan," arranged by Freedom Movement and Quaid-e-Azam University, he said that despite its worst condition, we have accepted this ministry as a challenge.
To make PR a profitable institution, we have planned to bring reforms in it, the minister added. He said that in the first phase, we will reduce expenditures and as result Rs 2.5 billion is expected to be added to the revenue during this fiscal year.
He said we have also decided to give attention to freight which remained the backbone of railways in the past but now due to flawed policies it has worsened. He said we have decided to import new wagons and coaches from China and locomotive from America and France. He said that for locomotives we prefer America and France, because locomotives which were earlier imported from China have not proved fruitful.
He said that we are mulling over railway link with Afghanistan at Chaman-Spinbuldak border to connect to Kandahar. He said that political decisions play vital role in the progress of a state, but it is unfortunate that after the departure of Quaid-e-Azam, no leadership has come in real sense to lead the nation right way.
He said that at present Pakistan is passing through crucial phase in which it is necessary for our leaders to take every decision wisely. He said that Pakistan has already fought three battles in which it lost a number of achievements. If India and Pakistan fight it won't be in the interest of both the countries. Dr Nowreen Talha and Ex-Chancellor of Quaid-e-Azam University Dr Kaneez Fatima also spoke on the occasion.