Sheikh Rashid announces suspending Thar Express services

ISLAMABAD - Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Friday announced to suspend the services of Thar Express and said that the last train would leave for India late night today.

Talking to media, he said 133 km new track was built with the cost of Rs 13 billion for Thar Express and now the track would be used for Thar coal project.

"As long as I am the Railways Minister, the services of Thar and Samjhota Express would remain suspended", he added.

He said the prime minister had directed Planning Commission and other departments to expedite workings on ML-1 project.

The 1800 km long track would enhance the number of Railways passengers from 7 million to 10 million per annum. After completion of ML-1, the journey from Lahore to Karachi would be completed in 6 to 7 hours. Half of the road goods traffic would be shifted to Railways. China would hopefully fund the project, he added.

The double track from Karachi to Lahore would be completed in the next five years, he said. Lauding the statement of United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Kashmir, he said it transpired that the whole world was talking about the peace.

By annexing the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had torn apart UNSC resolutions and buried all Kashmir related agreement, the minister said.

Modi has done his work and now it is the turn of 150 million Kashmiris to retaliate. Kashmiris were the brave nation and they must not be taken lightly, he added.

He said Lal Haveli and Lal Chowk had centuries-old blood relations. He said, "I will visit border areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from Uri to Chokathi to review the latest situation".

He said, "Pakistan does not want war,adding that the Pakistani nation has committed to supporting Kashmiris and we will never abandon them".

Responding to a question, he said Chaudhry Sugar Mills case would made the whole Sharif family ‘diabetic’.