Suspension of Train Services Discriminatory Against Poor, Losses Excuse ‘Ridiculous’: PKMAP Demands Immediate Restoration
**Quetta (Daily Qudrat News):** The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) has termed the suspension of train services in Balochistan as discriminatory against poor citizens, calling the justification of financial losses “ridiculous” and demanding the فوری restoration of key routes.
In a provincial press release, the party criticized the Federal Minister for Railways’ recent statement linking train services to economic activity, saying that pushing the railway department toward losses and depriving millions of people in the Pashtun-Baloch province of affordable travel facilities was deeply regrettable.
The statement highlighted the suspension of the Quetta–Chaman train service, Harnai–Sibi train service, and the Bolan Mail operating between Quetta and Karachi. The party questioned why services were being halted in Balochistan while new train operations were being launched in other parts of the country.
According to PKMAP, the Quetta–Chaman route provided essential connectivity for residents of Quetta, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, and Chaman. Similarly, the Bolan Mail served thousands of passengers traveling between Quetta and Karachi.
The party also emphasized the importance of the Harnai–Sibi passenger train, noting that freight wagons attached to the train facilitated the transportation of vegetables, fruits, and coal from Harnai to Sibi efficiently and at low cost. With the suspension of services, residents of Harnai are now forced to travel to Quetta first and then onward to Sibi, turning a journey of a few hours into a two-day trip.
Rejecting the railway department’s claim of low passenger numbers, PKMAP suggested reducing the number of coaches instead of suspending services altogether. The party described the move as discriminatory treatment toward poor passengers who rely on affordable rail transport.
PKMAP urged the Federal Minister for Railways to restore all suspended train services in Balochistan and called on railway officials to take serious steps and brief higher authorities to ensure the resumption of both passenger and freight operations in the province.
