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| July 25, 2005 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 17, 1426 |
Two reports on train collision conflicting
LAHORE, July 24: The two reports on the fatal accident at the Sarhad railway station are conflicting, according to a former federal government inspector of railways.
The retired FGIR told Dawn on Sunday that it seemed attempts were being made by the authorities to dogmatize the fatal accident.
“The reports have different reasons that resulted in three passenger trains’ collision and the findings held different people responsible.
“The findings of the PR police inquiry will superceed the FGIR report as the former had been conducted on the basis of the FIR registered soon after the accident. The FGIR report is in line with the statement of Railways Minister Shamim Haider which he gave before leaving for the accident site and seemed to be drafted according to the doctrine of fate acomply,” he said.
Railways Police Deputy Inspector-General Iqbal Khan had said on July 19 that Assistant Station Master Ikhtiar Ahmad was responsible for the collision.
The PR police conducted an inquiry into the accident following lodging an FIR by the Sukkur divisional superintendent. He said as the Karachi Express driver did not cross the signal on purpose, he was not responsible for the tragedy. The loop line of the Sarhad station was in perfect condition and the signal system was faulty, the DIG said.
Railways Minister Mian Shamim Haider had on July 13 said the Karachi Express driver was responsible for the Sarhad tragedy.
“The signal was red but the driver did not apply breaks. The train over-shoot and collided with the stationary Quetta Express at the Sarhad railway station,” the minister had told newsmen at the Railways Headquarters here.
Later, the minister held the Karachi Express driver, the ASM and a fireman responsible for the fatal accident.
Minister Haider, while giving details of the FGIR report in Islamabad on July 22, had said the incident occurred as the driver crossed the red signal of the station while the ASM placed the faulty coach on the wrong way of the mainline.
He said the Karachi Express driver had crossed the red signal at extraordinary speed while the ASM had delayed in giving a green signal to the Quetta Express which caused the accident.
The retired FGIR said the railway authorities should have lodged the FIR in the light of the findings of the sitting FGIR report.—Zaheer Mahmood SIDDiqui
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