Islamabad: The Standing Committee on Railways convened its third meeting of the year at 11:00 AM on Tuesday in the Committee Room No. 7 of the Parliament House, under the Chairmanship of Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, MNA. The session focused on several critical issues facing the railways sector, including land encroachments, police staff concerns, and the significant Main Line (ML-1) project timelines.
According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the meeting began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the confirmation of the minutes from the previous session. The Committee engaged in a thorough review of the progress made on its earlier recommendations.
Divisional Superintendents from Pakistan Railways in Lahore, Mughalpura, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi presented detailed reports on the challenges of encroachments and the leasing of railway land. They highlighted the lack of cooperation from the respective district administrations during anti-encroachment drives. The Committee expressed its dissatisfaction with this non-cooperation and resolved to seek support from Provincial Governments to aid in these operations. Concern was also raised regarding the absence of some officers who attended the meeting via Zoom, leading to a directive that all should attend in person in future sessions.
The Inspector General of Police for Pakistan Railways briefed the Committee on several pressing issues, including staffing, equipment, and the financial packages for railway police. The Committee acknowledged these challenges and emphasized the need for proactive measures to address them.
Furthermore, the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways provided updates on the ML-1 project, noting that phase-I is expected to commence by the end of this year or early next year, with completion targeted within five years. The Committee urged that the project be started and completed as soon as possible to avoid further delays. The Secretary also mentioned outstanding dues of Rs. 2155 million from sponsoring agencies for railway level crossings, prompting the Committee to recommend that Provincial Governments settle these dues promptly.
The meeting also included an extension of the mandate for the Sub-Committee on encroachments and the lease of railway land, chaired by Mr. Ramesh Lal, MNA, for an additional thirty days. The absence of the Minister concerned at the meeting was noted with displeasure.
In attendance were members of the National Assembly including Mr. Ramesh Lal, Mr. Waseem Qadir, Mr. Sadiq Ali Memon, Mr. Ibrar Ahmad, Mr. Zulfiqar Bachani, Syed Waseem Hussain, Mr. Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Mr. Shafqat Abbas, and Mr. Muhammad Jamal Ahsan Khan, along with senior officers from the Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways.