Railways Committee Sounds Alarm on Corruption, Appointments
News Desk
Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, during its 9th meeting held on Tuesday in Karachi, expressed strong displeasure over the absence of the Minister for Railways and raised serious concerns regarding recent administrative decisions and ongoing financial challenges within the department.
Chaired by Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, MNA, the meeting took place at the office of the Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Karachi. The Committee particularly objected to the controversial appointment of two junior officers as Divisional Superintendents of Karachi and Lahore, replacing senior and reportedly competent officials.
A Committee Member informed the forum of an alleged audio leak implicating the newly appointed Divisional Superintendent of Karachi in a corruption scandal during his previous tenure in Multan.
In response, the Committee directed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan Railways to present the inquiry report on the leaked audio at the next meeting. Additionally, the Committee demanded a comprehensive briefing on the criteria for the appointment of Divisional Superintendents.
In a significant move, the Committee constituted a new Sub-Committee under the convenership of Ramesh Lal, MNA, to investigate encroachments and lease matters on railway land. Other members of the Sub-Committee include Waseem Qadir, Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, and Muhammad Jamal Ahsan Khan.
The Committee also reviewed the progress on its earlier recommendations and appreciated the performance of previous Sub-Committees after reviewing their reports.
In response to a starred question referred by the Speaker, the Committee discussed the current status of train services and track rehabilitation at Khairpur Railway Station. Officials from the Ministry of Railways informed that 10 trains currently stop at the station, while 14 kilometers of railway track had been rehabilitated in 2024, and Rs. 18 million was spent on station renovations.
The Committee recommended increasing train stoppages at Khairpur and giving priority to further track repairs in the upcoming budget. It also proposed initiating a special daily train service between Hyderabad and Karachi.
Addressing concerns over delays in salary and pension disbursements, the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways clarified that while salary delays had been resolved, pensions remain an ongoing issue.
He explained that Pakistan Railways is the only federal department whose pensions are not financed directly by the Federal Government and are instead supported through insufficient grants-in-aid. The Committee urged the Federal Government to officially include Pakistan Railways’ pension obligations in its budgetary framework to ensure timely payments.
The Committee concluded the session with a strong call for transparency, better resource allocation, and urgent administrative reforms to restore efficiency and public trust in Pakistan Railways.
