Pakistan Railways: Man behind privatisation deals gets another year

New position being made for former GM Operations Saeed Akhter.

LAHORE:

Saeed Akhter, the man behind the successful privatisation of Business Express and Shalimar Express who has been asked by Prime Minister’s Secretariat to hold retirement plans and continue to work at Pakistan Railways for another year, may have a new position created for him, according to officials.

Rumours are floating that a position of Public-Private Partnership General Manager – a Grade -21 position – may be created for Akhter who previously served as General Manager Operations, a higher ranked slot.

Akhter was one of the masterminds in the privatisation of the two trains that helped cash-starved Pakistan Railways ease its financial crunch. Business Express alone pays Rs1.57 million per journey and Rs1.15 billion annually to Railways or the equivalent of 88% occupancy, according to the provisional agreement.

After its successful inauguration, the ministry has already planned to run another five trains through joint ventures.

Akhter told The Express Tribune that he is not interested in the powerless post of Public-Private Partnership General Manager. GM Operations and Deputy Superintendents along with control officer and workshop officials are running the show, Akhter said.

Akhter believes the creation of the new post will give him no authority and he may decline the offer.

Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services (PRACS) Managing Director Junaid Quraishi is currently working as acting General Manager Operations and is a strong candidate for taking over the post permanently.

A Railways official told The Express Tribune that if this position is created then some powers will need to be taken away from higher officials and given to this new position in order to make this an authoritative post, official added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.