KARACHI: Sindh’s information minister has censured the Pakistan Railways’ denial of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) request to run a special train service between Karachi and Rawalpindi on the 12th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to be commemorated in a public meeting at Pindi’s Liaquat National Bagh on December 27.
A statement issued by the PPP quoted Saeed Ghani as saying that the Pakistan Railways had rejected the application of the party’s Karachi division despite initially providing assurances contrary to the decision.
The provincial information minister claimed that the management of the Pakistan Railways had taken such a decision in order to demonstrate its political animosity towards the PPP.
“We had been repeatedly given assurances by the Pakistan Railways’ administration when we contacted them, and now when we have completed all of our preparations, the management has turned down our request without mentioning any reason,” said Ghani.
“We had been repeatedly told that a response would be given to us in a day or two,” said the information minister, who is also the president of the PPP’s Karachi chapter. “We had even assured them of making a payment in advance to reserve the entire train.” He said that thousands of supporters of the Peoples Party based in Karachi were completely prepared to go to Rawalpindi to attend the programme to mark Benazir’s death anniversary.
He added that they were of the viewpoint that the Pakistan Railways had expressed its animosity against the PPP on the direction of Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.
Ghani said that Benazir’s stature as a political leader was of international level, adding that she did not just belong to Sindh or even Pakistan. The attitude of the Pakistan Railways’ administration is condemnable, he added.
On the other hand, it has been reported that according to a senior Pakistan Railways official, they were unable to run a special train service on Benazir’s death anniversary due to overcrowding of passengers on trains as a result of winter holidays of students.
PPP Karachi General Secretary Jawed Nagori had submitted an application for the special train service to the divisional superintendent of the Pakistan Railways in Karachi on December 11.
Through the application the Pakistan Peoples Party’s asked the DS to run a special train service having 12 carriages on the occasion of Benazir’s death anniversary, with the train leaving Karachi on December 25 and starting the return journey from Rawalpindi on December 27.
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2EH0WEf
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