Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA)'s former chairman Abdul Basit has called for purging Pakistan Railways from corrupt and inefficient elements to save this one of the largest and strategically important institutions of the country from complete destruction.
Abdul Basit made these remarks while talking to a group of businessmen that called on him at his office, here on Friday.
He alleged that the ministry concerned seems least interested in taking corrective measures to resolve the issue. Abdul Basit, who is also former LCCI Vice Chairman, said that Pakistan Railways is one of the largest institutions of the country as it is the most important source of passengers and industrial goods movement across the country.
While citing current status, he said that approximately 65 million passengers annually travel through Pakistan Railways while important items like petroleum products, wheat, coal, fertilisers, cement, sugar and thousands others distributed through Pakistan Railways. He said that despite being the most important institution, Pakistan Railways is facing the worst loss and has eaten up 'more than rupees 52 billion' in the last three years.
He questioned that if Indian Railways could be turned into a profitable institution then why not Pakistan Railways? He said that Indian Railways is the fourth largest railway network after United States, Russia and China. A few years back, he said, Indian Railways was on the verge of bankruptcy but today, it is the second largest profit making institution in India. In 2004, renowned Indian politician Lalu Parasad Yadav took the charge of Railways Minister as a challenge as the situation was so pathetic that nobody was ready to accept the designation of the Railways Minister.
Abdul Basit said that if Indian government can initiate such result-oriented reforms then there is no second opinion about it that Pakistanis can do the same provided the government has the will to do so. He said that both public and private sectors of Pakistan are on the same page that all the 22 Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) are eating up rupees 400 billion annually, and should be restructured. Therefore, money, which is going into the drain at the moment, could be utilised for the betterment of the country.
Giving some suggestions, he said that a think tank comprising top notch economists and private sector representatives and parliamentarians should immediately be formed to suggest and formulate a framework of turning institutions like Pakistan Railways profit generating entity. Pakistan Railway Minister should be asked by the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan to take appropriate deficit-control measures instead of closing various rail routes. He said that the factors behind this huge loss being faced by this institution should be identified without any further delay.
He further said that railway authorities should build public-private partnership for the improvement of railway infrastructure. Pakistan Railways should introduce state-of-the-art wagons, which will not only enhance the profit of Pakistan Railways but will also reduce the time of goods movement.
Concluding, PPA former chairman said that Pakistan Railways has the potential to become a great profitable organisation but lack of interest of Railway Ministry, lack of planning and mismanagement are coming in the way. He said that Pakistan Railways will have to work under a well-planned strategy otherwise it would keep falling with every passing day while the jobs of thousands of people associated with PR would be at stake. He said that if railways ministry is not interested to get the issues of Pakistan Railways resolved than this important institution should be privatised as the private sector of the country has the ability to save it.