Dr. Yasmin Raashid advisor to PTI Chairman has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives when Jaffar Express derailed near Aabgum area in Bolan on Tuesday leaving at least 16 people dead and over 150 injured. Accident happened when four bogies and engine of the train skid off from the railway line due to break-fail she added. She said the poor passengers lost their lives due to the sheer negligence of railway officials who failed to check repair and maintenance of the ill-fated locomotive. What a sad state of affairs in Pakistan that a railway train carrying hundreds of passengers does not even have a solid break system while no body at the helm of affairs bothered to check she added. She said Sharif Brothers want bullet trains for Pakistan, while the incompetent railway minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique can not even run these slow moving trains safely. Century old tracks require replacement as no attention has been given to railway since British left and the same tracks are being used she added. She asked would the railway minister resign over loss of lives or continue with his imaginary good governance slogan.
PTI Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said she is deeply grieved over the loss of lives due to the accident; she expressed her heartfelt sympathies and condolences with the families of the deceased. She said to call this derailment of Jaffar Express an accident is injustice as this is the case of gross mismanagement on the part of Pakistan railway. I am at loss to understand why the life of a common man is so cheap for the government she added. She said in a similar incidence in July this year 19 people, including four army officers, were killed when three bogies of a special train carrying army officials fell into a canal as a railway bridge collapsed in Gujranwala. She said Sharif Brothers would not fix this dilapidated system, which is a mode of transport for millions; rather they keep building money-draining metro buses and trains on blood of the poor she added. She said Pakistan railway has worsened under Khawaja Saad Rafique. Khawaja Saad Rafique has done nothing for the improvement of the railway as he is busy playing politics and hiding behind the satay orders to protect the election rigging during the past two and half years she added. She said train was once considered to be the safest mode of traveling. If government could spend few million rupees on this ancient railway track, the lives of the poor passengers from all over the country could be saved she added. She said the railway has seen decades of decline due to corruption and mismanagement. She demanded that Khawja Saad Rafique immediately resign and be held responsible for the loss of lives of the poor.