Senate exposes 2,323 illegal occupants in Pakistan railways quarters

A Senate committee exposed serious problems in Pakistan Railways, with 2,323 residential quarters reported as illegally occupied

Islamabad: A Senate committee exposed serious problems in Pakistan Railways, with 2,323 residential quarters reported as illegally occupied and thousands of other railway houses found in questionable use, while the repeated absence of the Railways Minister and Minister of State forced two agenda items to be deferred.

The Senate Standing Committee on Railways, which met at Parliament House under Senator Shahadat Awan, was told that Pakistan Railways has 34,763 residential accommodations. Of these, 2,323 were reported as illegally occupied. The committee was further informed that 1,732 quarters were occupied by people having no connection with Pakistan Railways, 321 were being used by unauthorized persons with no clear association with the department and 209 were occupied by retired railway employees.

The Inspector General Railways told the committee that a survey carried out two months ago found 1,087 quarters had been sublet by authorized or former occupants. The survey also identified 804 quarters that had been illegally allocated, 236 quarters linked with illegal activities and 27 quarters being used for commercial purposes, including water filtration plants.

The committee expressed serious concern that people living in these quarters were using electricity, water and sewage services at the cost of Pakistan Railways. Senator Shahadat Awan pointed out that electricity meters were often registered in unofficial names or were not installed, placing an additional financial burden on the railway department.

Members also questioned why genuine railway employees waiting for government accommodation were being denied housing while railway quarters were occupied by unauthorized people. The committee directed the Inspector General Railways to register FIRs against illegal occupants, remove them from the quarters and return the properties to the railway administration.

The chairman directed the Secretary Railways to take serious action on the matter and ensure the department deals with illegal occupation and misuse of its residential property.

The absence of the Railways Minister and the Minister of State also became a major issue during the meeting. Senator Shahadat Awan said the presence of the ministers was important for the proper working of the Senate committee and directed that a formal letter be sent to the Prime Minister regarding their repeated absence.

The chairman stressed the importance of the Senate committee and its proceedings, saying that the absence of the ministers affected the work of the Upper House. Two agenda items were deferred because the ministers were not present.

The committee also reprimanded railway officials over incomplete information about pending court cases, theft, misuse of railway property, track damage and freight losses. Members pointed out that lower court cases, including criminal cases, theft matters and cases involving missing track infrastructure, were left out of the report submitted to the committee.

Senator Shahadat Awan gave the Ministry of Railways 10 days to submit a complete and updated report covering all pending cases before every level of the judiciary.

The committee was also told that some cases filed by the Ministry itself had remained without hearings for long periods, including cases pending since 2018. Members further found problems in the information supplied by the ministry, as some cases described as pending had already been decided by courts, while railway officials were still reporting them as waiting for arguments.

The chairman questioned the working system of the Railways Law Department and asked about its staff strength. The Secretary Railways told the committee that around 300 officers and officials were working in the department, but said the number was very low and that improvements were needed.

The meeting also reviewed railway services and heritage sites. The committee welcomed the successful return of the Mohenjo Daro Express and noted its positive response from the public. A proposal was also discussed to restore the Khushal Khan Khattak Express, which operates on the Peshawar to Karachi route.

Senators also proposed the development and upgrading of important heritage railway stations, including Ranipur Court Railway Station, to improve public access and encourage tourism. The committee said non functional railway stations across the country should also be reviewed to determine whether they could be brought back into operation.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha raised the issue of travel concessions for journalists. The Chief Executive Officer informed the committee that the matter would be handled by a separate public relations wing dealing with journalist related issues, which would later provide an update to the committee.

The committee directed the Ministry of Railways to submit a complete brief and recommendations within the given deadline. Further discussion will be held in the next meeting.