‘Railways no one’s father’s property': Opposition walks out over Sheikh Rashid’s comment

The opposition walked out of the Senate session in protest on Wednesday after Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid said land belonging to the railway ministry was not anybody’s “father’s property”.

Members of the opposition bench protested the use of such a phrase by the railways minister.

During the session, the newly appointed railways minister said the ministry had a land of 20,000 acres that was not in use. But, he added, they would leave it on the Cabinet to decide whether the land should be sold or leased out.

Rashid said land belonging to the railway ministry was not owned by anybody’s father, it belonged to the government, which should make decisions regarding the property. “[However] land mafia considers railway land as their father’s property.”

While talking about losses faced by the ministry, Rashid said railways stood at a loss of Rs30 billion in 2013, which now went up to Rs41 billion, in 2018.

At a news conference earlier, Rashid said they would work on bringing down the expenses of the railway ministry. Speaking about his plans, the minister said they would curtail the expenses by 15%.

The railways minister added they will be auctioning off trains and wagons that have been standing stationery for the last 60 years, whereas 30 train stations will be upgraded.

Furthermore, he said two new trains will operate from September 15. He also promised to increase the freight by 20%.