Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that Rs 2 billion will be spent on publicity of Pakistan Railways (PR), in order to improve its image.
"I have been given the task by the government to improve PR financial health and I am confident I will prove equal to the task," he told reporters at a news conference at a local hotel on Sunday.
No one had magic stick to change things overnight, but he vowed to improve the image of the railway and turn it into a profit-earning public entity in one year, he said. The minister said he had also given 30 days to the railway authorities to improve their performance, and after that they will be taken to task. After expiry of this deadline, the PR general manager and the divisional heads will be held responsible for any wrongdoing., he warned them.
To improve the financial health of the department and take it out of deficit, a number of projects will be undertaken, including offering four Down and Up railway tracks to well-reputed international parties to run trains, he said, adding: "We will welcome the parties from the private sector to run their fast trains on our tracks and offer them all necessary facilities for this purpose."
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the performance of Pakistan Railways, Sh. Rashid said it was ironical that its signal system was very outdated, but he will take all necessary steps to update the signals.
The minister said that he would chair a meeting at PR headquarters on May 4 to discuss this issue and take decisions in this respect. Before this, on May 2, he will take a briefing on all the affairs of Railways at the PR headquarters.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that PR was a huge ministry, adding, "it was a state within the state, but its performance was very dismal." As many as 40 million people travel through railway annually and he will leave no stone unturned to make this most popular means of communication more comfortable for the general public.
The minister also said that special emphasis will also be laid on improving meal service in trains.
"I have also issued directives to the PR authorities that no equipment/machinery will be imported if it could be prepared/developed indigenously", he said, adding that he asked the PR authorities concerned to provide him details about the revenue generated through sale of assets and other income of the department.
Talking about other uplift initiatives, Sheikh Rashid said that laying of rail track up to Gwadar and from Quetta to Kandahar was also on agenda of the government. Moreover, he said President Musharraf had also approved linking Pakistan with China through rail track.