May 19, 2006	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 20, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 18: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday placed the inquiry reports of two train accidents at Sarhad railway station near Ghotki in July 2005 and another one near Bahawalpur in February 2006 before the Senate and told the house that action had been taken against all the responsible persons.

The reports were placed before the Senate in the form of a written reply to a question of MMA Senator Dr Kausar Firdaus.

The inquiry report on the incident in which Karachi Express, Quetta Express and Tezgam collided at Sarhad station near Ghotki on July 13, 2005, has held the driver and the fireman of Karachi Express directly responsible for the accident. The inquiry was conducted by the federal government inspector of railways.

The cause of the accident has been attributed to non-vigilance of locomotives crew of Karachi Express as its driver “did not observe the red aspect of down outer and home signals at Sarhad station and entered the station limit without authority, and failing to control his train in rear stationary of 24-Down Quetta Express by timely applying emergency brakes” collided with it.

“Ghulam Mohammad, the driver and Noor Hussain, the fireman of 16-Down (Karachi Express), held directly responsible died on the spot. The Senate was informed that the ministry had already taken action against all the persons who were held indirectly responsible for the accident in the light of the report.

The minister said Iftikhar Hussain, relieving station master on duty at Sarhad station; Zulfikar Ali, train examiner, Lahore, Mr Mavo, signal maintainer, Ghotki, and Niaz Ali, section controller, Sukkur, had been dismissed from services. The contractual appointment of Mohammad Sharif, sub-engineer signal, Ghotki, has since been terminated.

He said disciplinary action was under finalisation against S. Haider Hussain, assistant signal engineer, Sukkur, while increments of Tasleem Khan, senior train examiner, Rawalpindi, and Abdul Rashid, signal inspector, Ghotki, have been withheld for two years.

As per findings of the inquiry report on the derailment of 41-UP Karakoram Express between Kalanchwala and Samasatta stations near Bahawalpur on February 4 this year, the cause of accident has been attributed to wilful tampering of the track by opening of two joints of 24-feet long “left hand rail of the UP line track by saboteurs.” No employee has been held responsible for this accident, said the report.