Will present railways audit report before SC tomorrow: Sheikh Rasheed

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed on Monday said that he will appear before Supreme Court in a case pertaining to railways railway losses, ARY News reported.

“Will appear before apex court today (Monday) and present the audit report of railways,” said Rasheed while talking in ARY News program 11th hour.

Sheikh Rasheed said that he will inform Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Gulzar Ahmed, that there is no corruption in Pakistan railways. He claimed that the ministry successfully brought down the institutes deficit by Rs6 billion.

Sheikh Rasheed said that deficit of Pakistan Railways would be overcome during the next five years. He said that the ministry has earned revenues upwards of Rs10 billion by restarting 24 new trains.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, the chief executive officer and secretary of the department to appear in person to explain their position in a case pertaining to the railway losses.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, a bench of the apex court directed them to turn up on Tuesday (tomorrow).

The top judge took strong exception to the railway’s age-old manual record-keeping system, which he said meant Rs75,000 could easily be siphoned off from payment of a sum of Rs100,000 into pockets with a trifle 25,000 shown in records.

Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, a member of the bench, noted the department has been raking in billions of losses, which is evident from its audit report.

No state institution is riddled with as much corruption as the railways, the chief justice remarked.

Deploring the railways’ state of affairs, he said the sector the world over is moving ahead leaps and bounds by bringing in bullet trains.

Justice Gulzar said one who is interested in the portfolio of the Ministry of Railways needs to travel by train.