MULTAN, April 19th: “The railways are the true image of our country. If you want to see Pakistan, see its railways.”Pakistan railway is progressing by leaps and bounds after a severe setback,said Zafar ullah Kawar Divisional Superintendent Multan while delivering his speech as guest speaker at a function organised by Crescent Lions Club today and chaired by Dr. Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry. Mr.Kalwar said there is nothing more wrong with the Railways than what is already wrong with Pakistan and its other public sector utilities.Corruption, mismanagement, nepotism, and lack of professional expertise plague the Railways and other relics of a fast shrinking public sector in Pakistan.To help move a nation of 200 million, Pakistan Railways required more locomotives, bogies and wagons.We have recently imported 400-HP locomotives from United States which can easily pull a long freight train.Marred by three decades of deterioration, bad governance and corruption, the Pakistan Railways (PR) though steadily but is coming back on track. The PR management made some significant improvements in financial and operational sides in three years The Railways enhanced its passenger operations by upgrading express trains. It also increased number of freight trains and actively working on development projects including some most important and much needed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).He told the audience that there were more than 80,000 employees in the railway while its pensioners are more than 1,15,000. He said that 1700 km long railway track from Karachi to Peshawar was being upgraded. While Lahore to Karachi track was dualised and Now speed of train was being increased from 120 to 160 km/hour.He said that CPEC project is a game changer for this region.He said that level crossings were being replaced with under passes to avert any mishap.Similarly unmanned level crossings were being discouraged. The meeting was attended by Ex-District Governor Muhammad Afzal Sipra, Muhammad Azam Chaudhry, Mian Javed Iqbal, Prof.Hameed Raza Siddiqui,Naeem IqbalNaeem, Ch.Zulfikar Ali, Saifullah Chaudhry, Syed Ijaz Shah, Saeedullah Khan, Pervaiz Ahmed Suleri,Dr.Fayyaz Haider,Abdul Mohsin Shaheen, Najm-ul-Islam, Sher Rabbani,ilyas Anwar Sheikh, Dr.Abu-Bakr Saeed, Jam Akhlaq Hussain,Iftikhar Qadri,Muhammad Usman,Dr.Ijaz Ahmed,SajidMajid Hashmid, ilyas Mehmood Dogar, Nayyar Waseem,and Ahmed Waqas.
