ISLAMABAD: In view of the deteriorating condition of Pakistan Railways (PR) and the increasing number of train accidents, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the country’s rail system and directed the authorities concerned to come up a comprehensive restructuring plan for the department instead of going for temporary arrangements.

Presiding over a meeting on restructuring of PR at the Prime Minister House, Mr Khan said the much ambitious ML-1 plan conceived under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would take many years for completion and, therefore, the department should not wait for it and make its own comprehensive plan to make PR a profitable entity.

According to an official press release, the prime minister ordered promoting public-private partnership for overhauling of the crippling railway system of the country. He renewed the government’s resolve to turn the loss-making PR into a profitable department and said the railway’s progress was vital for the country’s growth. He stressed the need for devising a comprehensive plan in consultation with his Adviser on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain to revamp Pakistan Railways.

Expresses concern over loss of lives in train accidents, directs railways minister to take steps for safety of people

Talking about the increasing number of accidents at railway crossings, the prime minister expressed concern over the loss of lives in recent accidents and directed Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid to take necessary steps for the safety of people.

An insider told Dawn that Mr Rashid again complained that out of total 3,000 railway crossings in the country, 1,700 were unmanned and it was the responsibility of the provincial governments to make these crossings safe and secure for the commuters.

At this, the prime minister asked the railways minister to sit with the provincial governments and prepare a plan to secure railway crossings vulnerable to train accidents.

Dr Ishrat Hussain and other relevant officers attended the meeting. The prime minister was briefed on the railways’ performance, public-private partnership initiatives and facilities being provided to passengers like WiFi facility in trains. He was also informed that 130 trains were being run across the country, including 15 new freight trains.

Meanwhile, the opposition lashed out at the government for what it called the poor performance of the railways department and demanded that the railways minister step down over a large number of train accidents in which dozens of people have lost their lives.

The Supreme Court had on Jan 28 ordered Sheikh Rashid to submit a business plan to uplift Pakistan Railways from its current condition, giving the minister two weeks time to do so. Hearing a case pertaining to the losses incurred by the organisation, a three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had expressed displeasure over the way the railways minister was running the department.

The chief justice had also directed the minister to inform the court about the October 2019 fire in a train that killed 73 passengers.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020