On track: Passenger train restored, named after Faiz

Minister says over 1,600 people would use the train daily on Narowal section.

LAHORE:

A train on Narowal section was restored on Sunday and named after poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

More than 1,600 people would travel by the Faiz Ahmad Faiz passenger train daily, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique said after inaugurating the service.

Family members of Faiz, including Saleema Hashmi and Muniza Hashmi, and Pakistan Railways General Manager Anjum Pervaiz were also present.

Rafique said the train had been named after Faiz to pay tribute to the late poet. He said more trains would be restored on Karachi-Sukkur section.

He steps had been taken to tackle terrorist attacks on train.

The minister said Pakistan Railways had sent a train to bring Sikh pilgrims from India to Lahore but the Indian government did not allow it. The pilgrims had therefore to walk to Wagha border, he said.

Rafique said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan’s rhetoric of change had been exposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He said the KP government had done nothing for its people. It had just raised the salaries of its cabinet members by up to 150 per cent, he said.

He said Khan had failed to honour the people’s mandate. He said realising that it was losing popularity, the PTI had resorted to staging protest demonstrations.

He said instead of organising agitation the PTI should work for the welfare of people, he said.

He said Pakistan Railways had received an application to make arrangements for a train march by Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid.

“We are looking at the request… we will try to accommodate them without inconveniencing the regular commuters.”

To a question about dynastic politics, he said people had the right to elect whoever they wanted to. He said cooperation among political parties was good for democracy.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2014.