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Crossing Pakistan in long-distance trips every day, hundreds of thousands of Muslim commuters will soon have their long-demanded prayer section as railway authorities have launched a plan to redesign all trains to accommodate Muslim worshippers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a long-time and legitimate demand, which should have been met much earlier,\u201d Saad Rafiq, the federal minister for railway told OnIslam.net.<\/span> \u201cRedesigning of the railway cars has already begun soon after the decision was announced. I have directed the railway authorities to accomplish the task as soon as possible,\u201d he maintained.<\/span> Urgent Modification<\/strong> <\/span> Praised<\/strong> <\/span> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Crossing Pakistan in long-distance trips every day, hundreds of thousands of Muslim commuters will soon have their long-demanded prayer section as railway authorities have launched a plan to redesign all trains to accommodate Muslim worshippers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\u201cBut, it\u2019s never too late. Thousands of passengers \u2013both male and female- will Inshaullah soon have designated area to offer prayer onboard in each railway car,\u201d the minister added.<\/span><\/p>\n
The redesigning of the railway cars, according to authorities, will be completed in phases. Long-route trains are being redesigned in the first phase.<\/span>
\u201cRedesigning of hundreds of railway cars is not an easy task, especially when you are running out of money. It will take time,\u201d Saad said.<\/span>
\u201cBut let me assure you, it will take time but not long time- a few months,\u201d he maintained.<\/span>
Demanded be Muslim commuters for years, the authority has taken the decision to re-design the railways cars in order to carve out the proposed prayer sections.<\/span>
The prayer section will have a digital compass to tell the passengers about the direction of Qibl\u2019ah with the moving train changes its direction.<\/span>
Saad, a senior leader of ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) that has formed the government\u00a0 in the wake of a victory in May 2013 general elections, has accepted the railway ministry as a challenge as rampant corruption, bad governance, and lack of efficiency have brought this important mean of transport to a virtual collapse.<\/span>
Numbers of railway passengers have ostensibly reduced during last five years due to lack of facilities, and inordinate delays.<\/span>
\u201cI have taken this as a challenge. I admit that it is not an east terrain to ride, but it is not impossible either,\u201d he observed.<\/span>
\u201cCreation of a passenger friendly atmosphere is the most-wanted requirement for the rejuvenation of railway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
Railway authorities think that designation of special prayer section in railway cars will help attract the passengers who use other means of transport.<\/span>
\u201cThousands of passengers do not prefer to travel by train because they do not want to miss their prayers,\u201d a senior railway official, who asked for anonymity, told OnIslam.net.<\/span>
\u201cThey prefer buses especially on long routes because they take a break for every prayer.\u201d<\/span>
He said the proposal for allocation of prayer section in railway cars had been by the pending for a long time due to reasons better known to the previous governments.<\/span>
\u201cPerhaps, the so-called enlightened governments did not want themselves to be tagged with fundamentalism,\u201d the official said in a lighter vein referring to the governments of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf and left-wing Pakistan Peoples\u00a0 Party (PPP).<\/span>
\u201cWe can attract thousands of passengers, especially belonging to northwestern parts of Pakistan, through this step,\u201d he said referring to Pashtuns who are considered more religion-inclined than any other community in Pakistan.<\/span>
They usually travel by bus in order to avail the opportunity of saying their prayers on time.<\/span>
The railway official hopes that the provision of prayer section will also reduce the incidence of delays of trains.<\/span>
\u201cIt has been a permanent complaint that passengers pull the emergency chain to stop the train at various railway stations as their colleagues of family members offer prayer on the platform,\u201d he observed.<\/span>
\u201cTiming is very crucial in railway journey. Even two-minute delay can disturb the entire schedule of the journey, particularly on a long route,\u201d he remarked.<\/span><\/p>\n
The ministry decision won applaud from Pakistani commuters including traders and students as well.<\/span>
\u201cI have hardly travelled by train because I did not want to lose prayer on time and with Jammat,\u201d Manzoor Hussein, a Karachi-based trader told OnIslam.net.<\/span>
Being a trader, travel is a routine affair for Hussein, but he always preferred to travel by bus or car.<\/span>
\u201cThe bus drivers always give you a 15 to 20-minute break to wash yourself and say prayer. They manage things in an order whereby passengers can offer prayer, and they get their vehicles rechecked and refueled at a same time.<\/span>
\u201cAlthough, train is more comfortable and safer mode as compared to bus or car due to law and order problem in various areas, however, I did not use that due to unavailability of a proper place for prayer,\u201d he added.<\/span>
\u201cBut, now, I have no reason to avoid this safer mode of journey,\u201d a smiling Hussein said.<\/span>
Zahid Awan, a student of Jamia Binoria seminary in Karachi, too hails the decision.<\/span>
\u201cI do not know whether or not the railway would attract passengers after this step, but it would attract the blessing of Allah for sure,\u201d Awan told OnIslam.net.<\/span>
\u201cI am excited to travel by train after a long time not only it is more comfortable than bus but because it will have an exclusive prayer section,\u201d he maintained.<\/span>
Source: OnIslam<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n