Pakistan train driver, his assistant halt locomotive to buy yoghurt, both get suspended

A Pakistani inter-city train driver and his assistant have been suspended from service for stopping a train to purchase yogurt near a railway station in Lahore.As per news reports, the Minister of Railways, Azam Khan Swati, took the action on Tuesday, 7 December, after a video of the driver’s assistant collecting yoghurt near the Kanha Kacha railway station went viral on social media.The passenger train had begun its journey from East Lahore and was heading south towards Karachi on 6 December. In the viral video clip, one can see that the driver has stopped the train and his assistant has gone to purchase yogurt from a nearby stall.Take a look at the video hereThe incident has raised concerns regarding the security and safety of Pakistan railways. Recently, the railway department of Pakistan has been facing issues due to its declining revenue, increase in the number of accidents and controversies about passenger safety.After the video drew attention on social media, the minister of railways warned that such events would not be tolerated in the future. It also stated that no one would be allowed to use national assets for their personal use.Swati also ordered the Pakistan Railways Lahore administration to suspend both the train driver, identified as Rana Mohammad Shehzad, as well as his assistant, Iftikhar Hussain.In a statement given to the news agency AFP, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Railways, Syed Ijaz-ul-Hassan Shah said that stopping the train in the middle of the tracks is a safety concern and that the government will not tolerate any compromises in terms of the safety of the passengers.As per Dawn, the Pakistan Railways had also imposed a ban, in December last year, on engine drivers and assistants using smartphones while on journey. Crew members were also barred from recording audio and video messages and taking selfies. The ban was implemented to keep drivers and assistants vigilant while on duty and to avert possible accidents.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.