SC orders NAB cases against corrupt Railways officials

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the initiation of cases against corrupt officials of Pakistan Railways responsible for destroying the organisation and directed sending the cases to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). A two-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing a suo motu case about non-payment of salaries and pension to employees and workers of Pakistan Railways.
The court directed Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to take complete information about corrupt officials of the Pakistan Railways involved in selling scrap on lower rates and then send their cases to NAB. The court also asked the attorney general to send the cases of officials to NAB who were involved in purchasing electricity bulbs of Rs 7 for Rs 400.
The court directed him to convene a meeting of the railways officials and deliberate upon chalking out a comprehensive plan for making the organisation functional and submit its details before the court on next hearing. During the hearing, the court pointed out to the attorney general that there was great potential in various organisations like
the National Logistic Cell (NLC) and Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC) Taxila, whose services could be hired for repairing the faulty locomotives in the greater national interest.
The court directed the Railways chairman to take effective measures for taking back valuable property of PR from land mafia in Karachi, besides pointing out to the court if the railways land was confiscated by the land mafia in other parts of the country.
“Your men are dishonest and they have destroyed the organisation,” the chief justice told the chairman and remarked that recently, “we had test fired a missile, however, the railways authorities cannot repair engines”.
In compliance with the court orders, Railways Chairman Javed Ahmed told the court that steps were being taken to make the payment to pensioners with opening of new accounts with zero balance in the scheduled banks near their houses and the process would take at least a month.
He, however, said the management would start issuance of new pension from today (Tuesday) in advance on account of Eidul Azha. The chairman said a task force had been constituted to make functional 46 of the 360 engines that were non-functional.
Former railways minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed submitted his written statement before the court, in which he alleged that one Sameen Gandapur, a Grade 18 officer and blue-eyed boy of the incumbent railways minister, had been posted as chief purchase officer against a post of grade 20 at the instance of the minister and billions of rupees had been spent to renovate and furnish his bungalow in Mayo Gardens, Lahore.
He said that in the railways mechanical department, 12 to 20 qualified mechanics who could repair old engines were sent on forced leave with mala fide intention, so that the old engines could not be repaired and instead of repairing the old engines, new engines may be imported, which he said was a huge loss to the national exchequer.
Railways Board Secretary Abdul Shafique told the court that the mechanics were sent on forced leave as they were found involved in illegal activities.
He said the organisation was facing the brunt of measures taken earlier by Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed when he was the minister for railways. He alleged that Rasheed started 24 trains just to get fame.
Rasheed said Railways was importing 200 coaches from China at a cost four times higher than the ones being produced at carriage factory, Islamabad.