Corruption, mismanagement and neglect are driving Pakistan Railways into ruin, ending all goods haulage, and leaving millions of passengers stranded. In the three years since the current government took power, ending a decade of military rule, the Railways has retired 64 of its 104 trains, leaving just 40 left for a country larger than Britain and Germany combined. With expected losses of 35 billion rupees (390 million USD) in fiscal year July 2011 to June 2012 the company relies on government handouts of 2.5 billion rupees (2.8 million USD) a month to pay salaries and pensions. -- Text and photos by AFP.
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Comments (16) Closed
Vaqar (UK)
Dec 22, 2011 01:48pm
Sadly, this photograph encapsulates it all. Where is the "repair" going on. Workers are just standing around and one is perhaps performing a witch dance on top of the engine that will some how cure the engine. No parts, no machinery, no will....
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Ahtasham
Dec 22, 2011 02:17pm
Pakistan Railway must be privatized. Privatization is a best solution to put back Railway on track..
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Hamid shafiq
Dec 22, 2011 03:51pm
Pakistan railway is in to ruin i think its more than ruin. corruption, mismanagemnt and neglect is smaller words. becuase actual scenerio is worst. railway engineers destroy railway locomotives with proper agenda in which they use low grade engine oil which destroy the engine and now many locomotives stopped. corruption is present right from the junior to senior level. i recommend only one thing railway should privatize as early as possible to save taxes money which already put in to balck hole of railway. atleast we save some money.
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nadeem
Dec 22, 2011 04:15pm
yes govrment should be privatized railway for good future of railway.
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Yaver
Dec 22, 2011 06:10pm
A failed country with failed institutions.
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Qasir Khan
Dec 22, 2011 07:46pm
And after they save money, where is it going. For the benefit of people. C'mon man i think you are smarter than that. This Government is eating everything alive. They make Musharaff look like an angel.
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samiullah
Dec 22, 2011 08:41pm
pak raiway must start mallgadies karachi chaman to earn propit 1billion
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Shafqaat
Dec 22, 2011 09:38pm
How many institutions should be Privatized??? Railways, PEPCO, PIA, SNGPL???
PIA is declining nose down and its a conpiracy to launch the Sindh Air lines of Faryal Taalpur, the sis of Zardari.....
They are just making our country their inherited property :(
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Mohammed
Dec 22, 2011 09:54pm
I am an ex-patriot. I have been in Pakistan for only a few weeks after a long absence. I see a very robust and free media. I cannot believe that while scandal after scandal about railway, government and everything in between is being exposed and brought to the surface, the status quo of corruption etc. continues. What is the solution?
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ABBAS A A
Dec 23, 2011 12:36am
..i am an ex-patriate and visited Pakistan after six years for a short time I was shocked to see the Height of Corruption, Mis-Management, favouritism,Lack of Responsibilty, Uncontrolled Growth of Population,Lawlessness,Price Hike, Criminal Activites and on TOP of all no one even seems bothered at any stage. I would strongly suggest that Government on Top Priority must Privatise ASAP and in the most Transparent manner PAKISTAN RAILWAYS..PIA.. PEPCO..PAKISTAN STEEL MILLS..SNGPL..AND ALL THE PUBLIC SECTOR COMPANIES WHICH ARE CONTINOUSLY RUNNING IN HUGE LOSSES..This will save BILLIONS of RUPEES that Poor Documented Salaried Class Tax Payer has to chip in bcuz the Businessman, Politican or the Land Lord ...Do Not Pay Tax atleast not wht they are suppose to pay as per Law. GOD BLESS PAKISTAN
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sharma
Dec 23, 2011 09:34am
Railways should be handed over to Pak army for recuperation. Instead of engines they can ply tanks!!
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Winston Churchill
Dec 23, 2011 10:27am
Until the military come under civilian control, there is no hope for Pakistan to recover. Secondly
there has to be a Land Reform, where land is to be distributed to the people who till it, only about 85 families control 90 percent of irrigated Land. Once people are empowered, the corruption will come down, 50% budget is consumed by Military, 30% goes to pay the interest on national debt, 10% goes to pay for the bureaucracy, that leaves 10% budget for health, education, transportation etc etc, that is why Madarsa are flourishing, lawlessness is rampant, killings are common and there in no Law in the country. This so call protector of the
country will destroy it.
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shakil mughal
Dec 23, 2011 11:46pm
These are the governance qualities of Pakistanis that will send the whole nation into the gutter of slavery.
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Syed Ahmed
Dec 24, 2011 09:48pm
What Pakistan, Karachi in particular has gained after privatising KESC; more of power outage.
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Mustafa
Dec 25, 2011 11:24am
Being a foreigner, my grandparents who hailed from Pakistan, have been to Pakistan a couple of times. 40 years ago when I first went to Pakistan, I found the country with wonderful people, peace, good transport system and of all with a strong currency. Just recently when I was there, I found everything the opposite. Where has it gone wrong? From the basic needs like electricity, gas, water and to the transport system the trains, PIA and many others are in ruins.Just can't believe a nation with more than 95% Muslims has the highest level of corruption and mismanagement. For me the main culprit is the government of the day which has been elected by the illiterate population and by the so called loyalist to the present political party. All at positions be it an office boy, MLA, all various govt departments till the highest level are having corruption as a way of life or we can say its a culture. Until and unless the good Islamic values are practised by all, this nation will be another Hell on Earth. I can only offer prayers to the Almighty Allah to bless this nation with good, capable Muslim leaders.
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drdeath
Dec 25, 2011 12:24pm
Well so as i am concern privitisation is not the solution of all this.You should'nt just go of privitizing all the Govt. assets departments. The main focus is to change the infrastructure of Govt. which is totally lacking in all kinda fields. The Govt. is running on most favorite dumb heads totally unaware of the situation going on & how to handle the situation.
So it's time to sit down think wisely in rehabilitating the Govt. also there childish policies.
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