LAHORE: The Pakistan Railways (PR) has decided to arrange employment for the 25-years-old woman, who was raped by some staffers of its contractor (a private firm) in the Karachi-bound moving train, Bahauddin Zakaria Express, last month.

The PR is also set to provide considerable compensation to the affected woman-a mother of two kids. Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique also made a telephone call to her on Saturday night and assured her of his department`s full support, Dawn has learnt.

`We support you fully and we will not leave you alone. We have also appointed a senior lady officer as focal person to deal with your case,` a spokesman for the PR quoted the minister as telling the victim.

Later, presiding over a meeting at the railways headquarters, Mr Rafique, according to the spokesman, directed the private operator of the train to pay the woman all legal expenses being incurred on her case and others (if any).

`We will also arrange employment for this woman. We will keep following up her case besides providing her with financial assistance,` he pledged.

While reviewing progress of the department, the minister directed the officers concerned to overhaul 21 power vans and upgrade 33 others. He sought a feasibility report on shifting the entire railways stations (especially the major ones) to solar power. He also asked the officers to clear dues of the railway employees on a priority basis.

It may be mentioned that the victim reached Multan from Karachi on May 26 by train to meet her two minor children for the first time after her divorce. Her husband (a resident of Muzaffargarh) didn`t bring her kids to the railway station under pressure from his parents.

Resultantly, she decided to go back to Karachi in the same train (Bahauddin Zakaria Express) on the same day. On the way, three staff members of the train took him to the AC compartment from the economy class where they gang-raped her.

According to the railways police, there was no deployment of the PR police officials in the train for safety and security of passengers as, under a contract, the provision of security arrangement in the train was the duty of the private operator of the train.