Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that Khanewal-Raiwind double track would be completed by the end of December, 2007 and it would be a record that 245 km long track would be completed in a year and dualisation of railway track would open up new vistas of national progress through engineering excellence.
Talking to newsmen during his visit to Bahawalpur and Multan, the minister said that this track was being constructed by Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to ensure the world standards and good quality working. He said that e-ticketing was introduced to facilitate the credit card holders, and air-conditioned dining cars were being attached with news trains with the assurance of good quality and high standard meal and duration of travel was being reduced between Karachi-Lahore, and Lahore-Rawalpindi.
Shaikh Rashid said that the people working under the flag of imperialism would face more suicide attacks, as there was a strong reaction to US policies in Pakistan. He said Benazir Bhutto's talk of discussions with extremists had come too late. "She should have given this statement before coming to Pakistan. She was told that her life was in danger," he added.
However, the minister declined to respond to a question on whether President Pervez Musharraf was also a target for suicide attacks, as he supported several US policies.
Sheikh said the President had agreed to remove the bar on third-time premiership in his and Bhutto's first meeting, but had not been willing to withdraw the cases against her. He expressed disapproval over a statement by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain that implied that the Pakistan People's Party was involved in the Karachi blasts. He said a working relationship between the political parties was very important for democracy. He also demanded that Benazir, as "she is rich", should announce at least Rs 10 million for each person that died on October 18. "The time of politicking on dead bodies is over - the electronic media conducts a post-mortem for everyone from the government to the opposition. Nobody can gag the judiciary or media," he added.
Country polarised: He said the country was facing a polarisation similar to what it faced in 1990. "This was started by Benazir Bhutto's side when she blamed three individuals for the bomb blast. Because of this, the National Reconciliation Ordinance has come under threat and the next two weeks are crucial," he added.
Responding to a question on how Bhutto could rule a country after she had expressed a lack of confidence in its security agencies, he said, "The highest agency in Pakistan supported talks between the government and Benazir Bhutto. The head of that agency was on the team. If the agencies had not agreed to allow Benazir Bhutto to return, she would not have been able to return."
Caretaker announcements: He said the name of a caretaker prime minister and chief ministers would be announced in the last week of October. "According to the Constitution, if the assemblies are dissolved on November 14, there will be an election campaign for 90 days and if the assemblies are dissolved on November 15, the election will be held within 60 days." He rejected a PPP claim that three million people had welcomed Benazir, claiming there were only 100,000 to 200,000 people there.
Responding to a question, he said the PPP had a role in the country's politics, but he did not see Benazir Bhutto becoming prime minister again. He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman would play an important role in future politics and should not be underestimated.
He said there was a good working relationship between President General Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, but the relationship between the PPP and PML was not good enough. He said the MQM would have a role in the future and their seats would not be reduced. "I foresee a hung parliament," he predicted. He said as of October 23, there were no plans to allow Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan.