Pakistani driver, assistant suspended for halting train to buy yogurt

A Pakistani train driver and his assistant have been suspended from service after they stopped the train to purchase yogurt near a railway station in Lahore.

Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati ordered the suspensions after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The railways department has been in trouble of late due to various issues like accidents, passenger safety and declining revenue, and criticism of the department on social media led the minister to take action. “I will not tolerate such events in the future and allow anyone to use national assets for personal use,” the minister warned in a statement.

In December, the ministry had reportedly imposed a ban on the use of mobile phones by locomotive drivers and assistants while on a journey.