ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Railways Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, Monday, revealed that Pakistani Ambassador in Austria recently has informed a delegation of Pakistani senators that an Austrian company has expressed interest in the construction of ML-1 project.
While chairing the Senate Standing Committee on Railways meeting here, Senator Saifullah Khan suggested the Federal Ministry of Railways to consider this option too. Responding to the chairman, federal secretary Ministry of Railways said that allowing other than China’s participation in the construction of the project will require international bidding.
The secretary railways, briefing the committee on the subject of Punjab government’s investment in the rail development, said that the Pakistan Railways (PR) has identified eight routes including Rawalpindi-Lahore to the Punjab government for investment. Recently, the government of Punjab has expressed readiness to invest Rs350 billion in the uplift of railway network in Punjab.
Taking part in the debate, Senator Shahadat Awan expressed serious concerns on financial losses, corruption, and railway accidents over the past five years.
Awan slammed the ministry for repeatedly providing inaccurate and delayed information to the committee, terming it a breach of privilege and a failure to comply with parliamentary directives.
He noted that despite three reminders and a referral to the privileges committee, the ministry had yet to submit correct and complete data.
Awan emphasised that the ministry must fix responsibility on officials who misled the committee and failed to deliver the promised information within the agreed timelines. He underscored that over 3,200 FIRs had been registered, and despite promises made during previous meetings, including assurances of revised records within 15 days, accurate figures were still pending.
Chairman Senator Jam Saifullah Khan expressed deep concern over the lack of seriousness shown by the ministry in responding to the committee’s directives. He said the provision of incorrect or incomplete data not only hinders the committee’s oversight role but also raises serious questions about internal accountability mechanisms.
The committee asked the ministry to take the matter seriously and ensure that officials responsible for misinformation are identified and action is taken against them. The chairman emphasised that the committee expects due diligence and transparency, especially in cases where millions in public funds are at stake. He directed that complete details of all FIRs, pending investigations, conviction statuses, and recovery efforts must be submitted ahead of the next meeting. He stressed that implementation of court decisions and audit findings must be tracked and shared with the committee.
The ministry informed the committee that a total of 3,230 FIRs had been filed during the last five years, citing theft, embezzlement, and misuse of authority. Of the Rs212.883 million in reported property losses, Rs109.487 million had been recovered.
The secretary Ministry of Railways admitted that earlier reports were inconsistent due to confusion between calendar and fiscal years but stated that the data has since been reconciled. He added that 1,555 accused have been convicted, while 309 have been acquitted and 1080 cases remain under trial. However, Senator Awan questioned the ministry’s failure to disclose progress on several long-pending FIRs and called for disclosure of reopened and unresolved cases, along with full police cooperation.
The committee also reviewed the Karachi–Rohri railway line under the ML-1 project, which the ministry identified as a strategic bottleneck in the national rail network.
Secretary Railways apprised the committee that the ministry is exploring alternate financing options with development partners. The chairman committee emphasised the need to assess the feasibility of public-private partnerships. The ministry assured the committee that financing routes beyond CPEC are being actively pursued and acknowledged the need for urgent investment to sustain railway operations.
Jam Saifullah Khan further raised the issue of railway land encroachment, particularly in Karachi, where the value of occupied land runs into billions. He called for a transparent mechanism to recover and monetise underutilised high-value land assets, adding that the revenue could potentially fund critical infrastructure. He pointed out that corruption complaints continue to surface, particularly related to commercial land holdings, and directed the ministry to submit a clear policy for land management and recovery.
The committee also took stock of outdated infrastructure and the unavailability of train services in underserved areas such as Balochistan. Senator Saifullah urged the ministry to prioritise operational efficiency and ensure equitable service provision across all provinces. He concluded the meeting by stating that the committee will reconvene before the end of next month and expects full compliance with its directives, including the submission of all pending records, the status of disciplinary actions, and updates on strategic projects.
