The chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Railways, Senator Gul Naseeb Khan, had alleged that the current railways minister as well as two of his predecessors had been equally responsible for the mismanagement and corruption in the railways.
“I believe that the three ministers, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and Javed Ashraf Qazi, are equally responsible for mismanagement and corruption in the railways,” the senator told a group of journalists here at the Qasr-e-Naz.
The senator, who is in the city to meet the people concerned on getting the Karachi Circular Railway back on its feet and to look into the issues of the employees colony, dispelled the “propaganda” that the railways was going through a crisis.
“Some officers of the Pakistan Railways are trying to prove it as a dead organization so that it could be privatized,” alleged the senator.
“I’m not in favour of privatization. The standing committee, however, will recommend to the government to make the organization an autonomous body,” he said.
The JUI-F senator said that he had been shocked to learn the extent of encroachments on the railway’s lands, an issue he would raise in the senate.
A sub-committee would present a comprehensive report on the grabbing of railway’s land and on the revival of the KCR, he said.
Maulana Gul Naseeb claimed that the revival of the KCR was now a matter of days as all the stake-holders had given their nod and that they only needed to sort out some legal issues pertaining to the lands owned by the railways.
He said that corruption, mismanagement and political interventions were some of the major issues haunting the organization.
He also said that lack of locomotives was also a major issue that needed to be resolved urgently.
The senator claimed that the factories of the Pakistan Railways, especially the one at Risalpur, could produce up to 75 per cent of the total number of locomotives required.
The chairman of the standing committee said that they had suggested to the government to constitute a commission over the fate of the railway lands retrieved from the encroachers.
He said that the committee would also suggest to the government to close all those routes that were a financial disaster.
The senator accused Shaikh Rashid Ahmed of deriving “political benefits” from the organization during his tenure as minister.
He picked out delays in departures and arrivals, luxuries enjoyed by the railway officers and unhygienic and uncomfortable trains as the chronic issues bedeviling the organization.
Regarding security to the railways installations and tracks, the senator said he would raise the issue in the senate.
Meanwhile, leaders of Pakistan Railways Mehnatkash Union called on Senator Gul Naseeb Khan and apprised him of their demands and issues.
They demanded of the senator to fix 50 percent quota in the organization for the children of employees and disband PRACS which was proving to be a white elephant and restore PNS Shifa on the railways panel.
The senator assured the delegation, comprising Abdul Majeed Solangi, Muqadar Zaman and Aurangzeb Tanoli, that he would personally take the matter up with the railways minister.
“I believe that the three ministers, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and Javed Ashraf Qazi, are equally responsible for mismanagement and corruption in the railways,” the senator told a group of journalists here at the Qasr-e-Naz.
The senator, who is in the city to meet the people concerned on getting the Karachi Circular Railway back on its feet and to look into the issues of the employees colony, dispelled the “propaganda” that the railways was going through a crisis.
“Some officers of the Pakistan Railways are trying to prove it as a dead organization so that it could be privatized,” alleged the senator.
“I’m not in favour of privatization. The standing committee, however, will recommend to the government to make the organization an autonomous body,” he said.
The JUI-F senator said that he had been shocked to learn the extent of encroachments on the railway’s lands, an issue he would raise in the senate.
A sub-committee would present a comprehensive report on the grabbing of railway’s land and on the revival of the KCR, he said.
Maulana Gul Naseeb claimed that the revival of the KCR was now a matter of days as all the stake-holders had given their nod and that they only needed to sort out some legal issues pertaining to the lands owned by the railways.
He said that corruption, mismanagement and political interventions were some of the major issues haunting the organization.
He also said that lack of locomotives was also a major issue that needed to be resolved urgently.
The senator claimed that the factories of the Pakistan Railways, especially the one at Risalpur, could produce up to 75 per cent of the total number of locomotives required.
The chairman of the standing committee said that they had suggested to the government to constitute a commission over the fate of the railway lands retrieved from the encroachers.
He said that the committee would also suggest to the government to close all those routes that were a financial disaster.
The senator accused Shaikh Rashid Ahmed of deriving “political benefits” from the organization during his tenure as minister.
He picked out delays in departures and arrivals, luxuries enjoyed by the railway officers and unhygienic and uncomfortable trains as the chronic issues bedeviling the organization.
Regarding security to the railways installations and tracks, the senator said he would raise the issue in the senate.
Meanwhile, leaders of Pakistan Railways Mehnatkash Union called on Senator Gul Naseeb Khan and apprised him of their demands and issues.
They demanded of the senator to fix 50 percent quota in the organization for the children of employees and disband PRACS which was proving to be a white elephant and restore PNS Shifa on the railways panel.
The senator assured the delegation, comprising Abdul Majeed Solangi, Muqadar Zaman and Aurangzeb Tanoli, that he would personally take the matter up with the railways minister.
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