The Price of Leaving People Behind
Asem Mustafa Awan
Islamabad: The approaching train is powerful, the motorcycles are exposed and the railway tracks have become a dangerous negotiating ground between urgency and survival. One man raises his hand, apparently signalling the driver to slow down, while motorcyclists attempt to cross ahead of the locomotive. The scene is alarming, but perhaps its most disturbing feature is how ordinary such a situation has become.
Across Pakistan, numerous railway crossings remain points of daily risk. Where barriers, warning systems or trained crossing personnel are absent or inadequate, commuters are left to judge the speed of an approaching train and decide whether they have enough time to get across. A moment of miscalculation can cost lives.
The responsibility for railway safety cannot be transferred to ordinary citizens. Motorcyclists must exercise caution and obey signals, but railway authorities have a duty to establish safeguards that do not depend on individual judgement. Proper barriers, functioning warning lights, audible alarms, regular inspections and adequate staffing are basic requirements, not optional facilities.
The financial and administrative challenges facing Pakistan Railways have also come under parliamentary scrutiny. At a September 2026 meeting, a subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee examined cases involving more than Rs151 million in alleged theft and embezzlement of rolling-stock material across seven railway formations.
It also reviewed locomotive procurement irregularities, Rs468 million in outstanding dues from private train contractors and another Rs66 million in unrecovered dues following the cancellation of trains. During the proceedings, the Railway Secretary acknowledged that the department had failed to make the investment required in its system over the past 79 years.
These findings raise serious questions about financial management, accountability and institutional priorities. A railway system cannot be judged by revenue projections and commercial potential alone. Its responsibility to protect passengers, commuters and communities living alongside railway lines is equally important.
The economic circumstances of ordinary citizens make this responsibility even more urgent. The World Bank estimated that 47.1 percent of Pakistan’s population lived below its international lower-middle-income poverty threshold of $4.20 per person per day in FY2024. Its estimate for FY2025 was 45 percent.
For families living on limited incomes, a railway accident can mean the loss of a breadwinner, mounting medical expenses and a future thrown into uncertainty. Those with the fewest resources often have the least capacity to recover.
Development projects may promise millions in revenue and improved connectivity, but their success must also be judged by the protection they provide to ordinary people. Railway crossings cannot remain neglected gaps in ambitious national plans.
A country reaching for the skies must first ensure that its people can cross a railway track without risking their lives.
