Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Thursday announced that Pakistan has closed the Samjhota Express train service with India.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Sh Rasheed said the bogies of Samjhota Express will now be used for passengers travelling on the occasion of Eid. “Two special trains will run on Eid. We will try to improve the train schedule, timing, coaches and hygiene. The addition of 38 trains has enabled us to pick seven million more passengers and earn Rs10 billion,” he said. “Until I am the railways minister, Samjhota Express train service will not operate,” he asserted.
Sh Rasheed said all those who have bought Samjhota Express tickets will be given a full refund and that there will be no deduction at all. “The refund can be collected from the Railways Divisional Superintendent office in Lahore,” he said. “The next three to four months are very important. Pakistan is a proponent of peace and does not want war. If war is waged on us, it will be the last one,” he warned.
Sh Rasheed recalled that whenever tension mounted between Pakistan and India, extremists Hindus targeted Pakistani passengers in India, referring to the burning incident of Samjhauta train in 2007. “The (Hindus) burnt alive Pakistanis in 1947 and 2007 in trains,” he said.
The minister criticised the step taken by the Modi-led government on Kashmir. “Decision taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to annex Kashmir is highly unwise as such decisions change the course of history. The hearts of Kashmiris and Pakistanis beat in unison,” he said. “I know Kashmir from inside. Modi’s governance ends at Lal Chowk in Srinagar,” he added.
