A recent meeting of the National Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Railways, chaired by Ramesh Lal, revealed serious issues with the security and infrastructure of Pakistan’s railway system. The committee was informed that scanners and walkthrough gates at railway stations across the country, except Lahore, are not functioning.
Railway police officials explained that these broken security systems make the stations vulnerable to threats. They also pointed out that the wall at Quetta railway station is in poor condition and needs repair.
The committee chairman criticized the railway authorities for failing to remove illegal structures along the tracks. He warned that this could lead to a major train accident at any time. He also accused some railway officials of taking bribes from encroachers. In Sukkur division alone, properties worth billions of rupees are illegally occupied.
Railway officials added that, apart from the main tracks, the side tracks from Karachi to Peshawar are becoming increasingly unsafe. A new company has been created to manage the railway land issues.
Committee member Waseem Qadir called for accountability within the railway department. He suggested holding a meeting at the railway headquarters and urged the Chairman and CEO of Pakistan Railways to attend and address these critical concerns.
