R AWALPINDI: Pakistan Railways have to spend an additional amount of Rs4.7 billion to keep its operations functional due to the devaluation of the rupee against the dollar.

Talking to newsmen at Rawalpindi Railway Station, Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said despite all odds his ministry was working to control losses and the details would be shared with the media on June 30.

He said a board would be announced on Saturday to confirm all the contractual employees of the railways.

He said he had requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to increase salaries of the railway employees.

He said a new train, Sir Syed Express, would be launched on June 3 and all those travelling on this train would get fare concession on the first day. He said tenders would be opened soon to launch the Karachi high speed train. He said Main Line-1 project would also be launched soon which would generate employment for 150,000 people.

He said people wanted relief in the prices of vegetable oil, sugar and wheat flour.

The minister said former president Asif Ali Zardari was saying that after his arrest the business community was worried.

`But I must say that the business community is demanding an end to corruption and arrest of the culprits,` he said.

He said Mr Zardari was enjoying relief in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

About PML-N, he said there were two Muslim Leagues, one led by Shahbaz Sharif and the other by Nawaz Sharif. One group is in favour of a deal and the other wants to launch protests.

He said he and Shahbaz Sharif belonged to the same party. `We belong to the same party and people know about our mother party,` he said.

In reply to question, the minister said the budget would be passed and the deal with IMF finalised next month. He said opposition leaders had agreed on a charter of economic.

Train accident The minister expressed sorrow over the loss of life in a train accident and called a meeting in Lahore to probe any negligence.

He said action would be taken against officials found negligent. He reprimanded the divisional superintendent Karachi for not informing him about the details of the accident on time.