De-rail minister Bilour offers resignation

Addressing the media in Islamabad, the minister said that the process of paying rail employees and pensioners would begin tomorrow if Rs 1 billion promised funds were released by the government. He said that the President had been told about looming closure of the railways if the right steps were not taken.Bilour said that loan of Rs 40 billion taken from the State Bank had become a liability for the railways. He said that only six engines are in working order for goods trains and 100 engines for passenger trains.He said 400 engines were required to run the system properly. He clarified that India had not been asked to provide 50 engines and neither had India denied providing the engines.Bilour said that if anybody considered him part of the railway problems, he was willing to offer his resignation. He said the railways required Rs 6 billion for the repairs and purchase of engines, Rs 4 billion for upgrading signals, tracks and bridges and Rs 1 billion for diesel on emergency basis. Visibly distraught, the rail minister lost his composure at the media conference when a journalist put him a tough question about his performance and the downfall of railways during his term as minister.