SC seeks report on condition of Railways

Hearing a suo motu case pertaining to deteriorated condition of Pakistan Railways, the Supreme Court on Friday expressed severe dismay over the absence of railways chairman in the court and directed the railways secretary to submit a detailed record indicating efforts being made to ensure the repairing of faulty locomotives and the time when they would become operational.
The court directed the Railways Board secretary to ask the railways chairman to take immediate steps for opening the accounts of pensioners near their residences on priority and transfer money in their accounts. A two-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain also directed the railways secretary to submit details about the steps being taken to retrieve other resources of railways, including properties. Appearing on notice, Railways Board Secretary Shafiq Ullah told the court that due to a shortage of funds, pensioners were facing problems, however, adequate arrangements were being made to give them pension as soon as possible.
He requested the court to pass an order for paying pension from the budget of the federal government, as other departments were taking pension from it. “Pakistan Railways is a commercial department, which should generate its resources instead of looking towards the federal government,” the chief justice remarked. He said crisis was prevailing in the department for the last four months, however, railways authorities did not bother to resolve the matter on priority. He said non-payment of pensions was a violation of human rights, as pension was the right of all retired government employees. Former railways minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told the court that he was filing an application to become party in the case, as more than 100 million people were suffering due to the stoppage of trains.
The court told him that it would hear his viewpoint on the next hearing. The proceedings were adjourned until October 31.