*KSK is the most important train and has highest preference in PUNE - UBL route. So even after saving 50 mins, it's avg speed stands at 60 kmph, that's just not good enough. Even Basava exp is doing GR - GTL in 4 hours with an avg of 67 kmph ( Comparing double line to single line only because single line should't cause any problem to highest preference trains, 12649 covers SBC - DMM single line section of 170 km in with whopping avg speed of 70 kmph)
*Lets keep DVG aside, still small quota for UBL,DWR,BGM,MRJ,STR (at least 3 major cities) are enough to cause huge wait list.
*...
more...

MAS - UBL is an ordinary express train and avg speed of 49 kmph is pretty decent for an express train. The return train has an avg speed of 53 kmph, that's really too much for an express train. can't expect for more.
* Everyone knows that all trains can't be accommodated at "prime times", so it's wrong on our part if we ask for prime slot for all of our trains, the attitude of "give us the plum part else we don't use it" is very bad one. As you say, the people's mentality of that region is like that, then I believe IR should run trains on that route only if it reaches/departs UBL at "Prime Time" else run it on other routes where there is overwhelming response regardless of the slot of train. Just for an example, look at availability of trains passing through GR : Apart from Shatabdi, UBL - SC - UBL Exp, CSTM - HYB Hussian Sagar, and 2-3 Mumbai bound trains, all others are jam packed irrespective of the days of run of the trains and the time slot.