KARACHI – The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has announced the restoration of oil supply to Pakistan Railways (PR) which, on Thursday, had only one day’s oil reserve to operate the passenger trains service.
Sources said PSO stopped oil supply to PR, which owes the oil marketing company almost Rs 750 million, due to non-payment of the dues. The cash-strapped railways started crying for shortage of fuel after the stoppage of supply from PSO which, after the intervention of senior officials in Islamabad, restored supply of 140,000 liters to PR.
According to sources in PSO, the supply was temporarily restored to avoid the suspension of railway service across the country.
They said the supply was restored despite the fact that PR was defaulting on around Rs 750 million while the cheques issued by it had bounced.
The sources said besides the non-payment of the dues, PR was also avoiding signing a fuel supply agreement with PSO which was required to ensure the smooth supply of fuel. They said even after the closure of over 100 trains across the country, the government-owned institution was finding it hard to maintain the remaining running trains.
The Ministry of Railways had earlier closed various trains which were being run on a loss, while introducing more facilities to the profitable ones.
However, the PR employees, who have long been resisting the federal government’s plan to privatise railways, called the fresh shortage of fuel a conspiracy to move the institution towards privatisation.
Muqadar Zaman, office bearer of Railways Mehnatkash Union, said this was a step to deprive the already crisis-hit people of the only poor-friendly means of transportation.
He said the current PR administration was trying to send the Pakistan Railways into the hands of profit-crazy private companies on the behest of the World Bank and other international credit agencies.
Earlier a high-level railways’ delegation met PSO officials to discuss the restoration of fuel supply and even offered them a cheque of Rs 150 million.
Lahore Divisional Superintendent Javaid Anwar verified the alarming situation, saying oil in Lahore division had decreased to the level of 134,000 litres and the stock was insufficient to operate trains from Lahore. Similarly, fuel stock at Faisalabad railway station was only 86,000 litres, he said.
