Pak Railway officers to visit China for buying bogies despite economic slump

Lahore [Pakistan], August 9 (ANI): Numerous employees of Pakistan are set to visit China in different groups from August 9 to inspect 230 bogies worth USD 149 million despite the economic crunch as Pakistan Railways (PR) continue to face a deficit of more than Rs 45 billion.
With a daily travel allowance of USD 100 per day, the officials visiting China would provide consultancy in the design of the passenger bogies, said the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Carriages, Abdul Haseeb, The Express Tribune reported.
The training would be imparted to staff for the maintenance of the Chinese bogies, Haseeb said further, adding that the technology from China would also be transferred to Pakistan.
According to the Express Tribune, the officers to mark their presence in China for 10 days include AGM Shahid Aziz, DS Workshop Rahat Mirza, DG Planning Abdul Malik, Loco Factory Risalpur MD Aqeel Yusuf, Mughalpura Workshop Project Director Iftikhar Hussain, Mughalpura Workshop Project Director Muhammad Yusuf Laghari, Chief Mechanical Engineer Abdul Haseeb, Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Muhammad Farooq, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Headquarters Hamdan Nazir, Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Nawaz Farooq and Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Design Zulfiqar Sheikh.
Furthermore, the Director of Operation Imtiaz Hussain Farooqui, Deputy Director M&S Fahad Masood, DME Multan Muhammad Fasahatullah Baig, Mughalpura Workshop Works Manager Muhammad Ishaq Abbasi, Divisional Mechanical Engineer Karachi Sarmad Ibrahim, EFO Workshop Muhammad Amir are also included in the group.
The first group that will visit China for 22 days includes team leader Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer Risalpur Muhammad Ghufran Khan, Works Manager Mughalpura Muhammad Ismail, Assistant Mechanical Engineer Hamid Asad and Faqir Gul, FO Production Irshad Ahmed Aman, Muhammad Ali Johar, Irfanullah, Bahrkaram, Marjan Ali, Zafar Hayat whereas the second group to visit China for 22 days includes Deputy PEA MS Mughalpura Muhammad Khalid Khan, Works Manager Hyderabad Rajesh Kumar, Proceeds Officer Muhammad Saqlain, HTXR Mughalpura Azhar Hussain, Muhammad Amjad and Naeem Khan, FO Muhammad Riaz, SE Noorullah, Chargeman Abdul Rehman, Sajid Ali Mistry, Muhammad Fayaz, Abdul Manan, Sultan Mehmood, Syed Rehan Arif, Iftikhar Ahmad, Wasim Anjum, Syed Ameer Shah Shahid Hussain and Shabbir, The Express Tribune reported citing sources.
Notably, the third group to leave for China for 22 days includes Deputy DS Karachi Abdul Waqas, Divisional Mechanical Engineer Lahore Obaid Pal, Divisional Mechanical Engineer Kundian Ikram Zaidi, and Assistant Mechanical Engineer Sultan Ahmed Soomro, among many.
The Pakistan Railways (PR) is bearing a loss of about 20 million rupees on a daily basis owing to the surge in diesel prices.
Earlier, ceding to the demands of the International Monetary Fund, the Shehbaz Sharif government increased the petrol and diesel prices by PKR 30 per litre causing a surge in the cost of production in the country. (ANI)