February 12, 2019
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday the government was paying Rs6 billion interest every day on loans taken by the previous governments.
The premier said so after inaugurating the Railway live-tracking service and Thal Express train service. While addressing the inaugural ceremony, the prime minister said that a common man commutes daily through railway.
"Due to the previous governments, we are giving Rs6 billion in interest daily," he said.
Khan said if there were "anything left in the coffers then he would have done something for government's subsidy for Hajj".
“I have asked all ministers to bring down expenditure,” said the prime minister.
He said that due to the multiple NROs given by the previous governments there was no fear in some people before looting the national exchequer.
The PM asked Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed to send corruption cases to the National Accountability Bureau.
“Rs157 billion have been spent on the gas sector… Gas reserves worth Rs50 billion are misused every year” said the prime minister.
He said the government has been in power for six and it would work with China on several projects under the CPEC.
Meanwhile, federal minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the former government has taken kickbacks in the Railways department, adding that machines worth Rs one billion were bought which are useless.
“Rs400 to 500 million were spent on unnecessary stations such as Okara and Narowal,” said the federal minister.
Incharge Train Tracking Service Mudasser Zaidi said that the system has become operational through which trains can be tracked.
He said that Thal Express will leave from Rawalpindi to Multan, passing through Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, Darya Khan, and Mianwali.
The Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz spokesperson said that Khan Imran gave NRO-1 to his sister, Aleema Khan, and NRO-2 to the person who he called the biggest dacoit of Pakistan.
"He should at least chgange his speech. He is the prime minister now, he should be off from container now," he said.
She said that the premier should apologise for bringing down the national growth to 4% from 6%.