The travel concession given to journalists by the Pakistan Railways has been restored on the instructions of Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi. A notification has been issued regarding the travel facility in the railway with the Journalist Concession Card (JCC).
According to the notification, the Pakistan Railways travel concession facility for journalists and their partners has been restored on the journalist card.
A concession of 50 per cent will be given to journalists and their partners in the railway ticket.
According to the details, a delegation of journalists in Lahore had demanded the restoration of the facility in a meeting with Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi.
On this occasion, Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said that journalists are the eyes and voice of society, and responsible journalism is the foundation of democracy.
‘The railway will maintain strong contact with the journalist community,’ he added.
Pakistan Railways train fares
The federal government has decided to keep train fares and freight charges unchanged for the next three months by providing financial support to Pakistan Railways. This is despite a rise in the prices of petroleum products.
According to PR Chief Executive Officer Amir Ali Baloch, the increase in diesel prices has raised operational costs by nearly Rs1.9 billion per month.
This will bring the total additional burden to around Rs6 billion until June 30.
He further stated that the railway administration initially had no option but to increase fares and freight charges by 30 per cent following the fuel price hike.
However, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif intervened. He sought a detailed report from the finance and railways ministries on the potential impact.
After reviewing the situation, the government decided to cover the Rs6 billion cost. This will make sure that passengers and freight customers are not burdened with increased charges during this period.
