Pakistan Railways Cancels Property Auction in Lahore

Pakistan Railways has cancelled all property auctions held between October 20 and 23 and postponed those scheduled from October 24 to 27 in Lahore, following questions raised over transparency.

The decision came after Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi took notice of media reports highlighting irregularities in the recent auction process.

“We have cancelled auctions of all warehouses and other properties conducted from October 20 to 23 and postponed those planned until October 27,” Mr. Abbasi told media reporters. “The price offered was Rs. 220 per square foot, while our benchmark was Rs. 200. This rate was lower than expected.”

He added, “Next time, we will set a new benchmark of Rs. 300 per square foot and aim to secure bids around Rs350. Our goal is to ensure maximum value and complete transparency.”

The minister emphasized that Pakistan Railways would soon reinitiate the auction of several properties under strict monitoring. “All future auctions will be overseen by senior officers and recorded to maintain full transparency,” he said.

Mr. Abbasi also claimed that his previous interventions had saved the department billions of rupees in the auctioning of luggage vans and express cargo.

Sharing his upcoming plans, Mr. Abbasi announced that the ministry is preparing to launch a dedicated cargo train service soon. “We expect to receive 35 wagons by November 15, followed by another 15 by the end of the month,” he revealed.

Earlier, the Ministry of Railways had assigned the Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent (DS) additional charge of the Lahore DS office for three days — from October 20 to 22 — despite the presence of eligible officers in Lahore. This temporary posting raised concerns among officials, who alleged it was an attempt to favor certain groups in the property auctions at Badami Bagh and other prime locations.

Following criticism, the ministry withdrew the order and handed the temporary charge to Chief Mechanical Engineer Yousaf Leghari. However, the concerns persisted, eventually forcing PR to cancel all auctions entirely.

Cancelled Properties List

The cancelled properties included:

• Four godowns on Sher Shah Road, Lahore, measuring 25, 10, 50, and 40 marlas (auctioned Oct 20–21).
• One parking stand at Truck Adda (42 marlas) and another near L-Xing No. 4, Lahore (20 marlas).
• One shop at SDR Shopping Centre No. 4 (100 feet) and one restaurant near BBG parking stand (5 marlas).
• A godown near L-Xing No. 43 BTW GRW-GRWC (1.12 kanal).
• Two bays under Garhi Shahu Bridge (3,000 sq ft) and a parking stand near L-Xing No. 9 (3,000 sq ft).
• A godown site on Railway Road (3.5 marlas).
• Ten shops at Cement Godown (auctioned Oct 20–21).