SAHIWAL: An exchange of harsh words between the driver and the guard kept Khyber Mail stopped for 40 minutes at the Sahiwal Railway Station.

The eyewitnesses said when Peshawar-bound Khyber Mail reached Sahiwal from Karachi, a quarrel broke out between the driver and the guard in-charge over some technical matter. The driver who was not happy with the guard’s working refused to run the train with him (the guard) on board and demanded a new guard.

On the other hand, the guard refused to leave the train, saying he could not leave his duty. The driver left the train and sat on one of the benches at the platform.

Sources said the local station master and other station staff requested an engine driver present there to take the driving seat but he refused.

The passengers and railway station staff tried their best to resolve the dispute but the driver and the guard were not ready to listen to their pleas.

The matter was then reported to Lahore Central Control, which passed a written order to the train driver to run the train. The sources said an inquiry into the incident had been launched.

Talking to Dawn, a senior PR official confirmed the incident, stating that the authorities concerned had ordered initiation of an inquiry into the matter.

“Yes it happened in Sahiwal. The Chief Mechanical Engineer (Loco) has ordered an inquiry,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021