There used to be 450 passenger trains and 400 goods trains per day over the system. The goods trains, which were the main source of income, have been cancelled in the name of shortage of engines and there is no goods service at all.
At least, 345 new bogies were converted into scrap for exposing shortage of locomotives and coaches as a conspiracy.
On June 12, the railway minister cancelled important train services namely 15 – Up/16 – Down (Lahore – Karachi), 33 – Up/34 – Down (Super Express from Sargodha to Karachi) and six other services but there is no one to check him.
The Pakistan Railways, now having seven divisions, one headquarters office, Lahore, Railways board and ministry of railways, Islamabad, has 1,700 officers for just 76 trains.
They have proved themselves inefficient because some trains have been given in the charge of private contractors which are full of passengers and are maintaining punctually.
I request that a campaign against the destruction of the Pakistan Railways may be launched and questions may be raised in the National assembly and Senate in order to save this facility of the poor.
SHER MUHAMMAD KHAN
Multan
