LAHORE: Pakistan Railways Freight Transportation Company Chief Executive Officer Ghulam Dastgir Khan Baloch, who resigned from service over what he claimed that the mafia was involved in making him an officer on special duty (OSD), on Wednesday, withdrew his decision on Friday.

“I’’ve withdrawn my resignation and and I’ve done this for the betterment of Pakistan Railways,” Mr Baloch told Dawn on Friday.

“I was asked by someone from the highest level to take a lenient view on this issue. So I did,” he said.

“The matter related to my appointment as an OSD would also be settled soon,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Baloch, who was also serving as special assistant to the minister, cited a mafia behind his OSD orders and rendered resignation from job, stating he would prefer to live his life honorably instead of working like this.

“I want to live my life honorably. Being a civil servant and a thorough professional, I tried my best to give professional and honest input for the uplift of sinking Pakistan Railways. Restructuring the railways as per the decision of Imran Khan’s government doesn’t suitfreight mafia in the PR,” reads the resignation of Mr Baloch, a 27 common group officer, submitted to Railways Minister Azam Swati.

“Internal and external mafias are so strong that I, as an individual, cannot fight with them.”

Addressing minister Swati in his resignation, he said: “You being the railways federal minister and being an honest and dedicated person must have heard my viewpoint as well. God be with you and with me and my family as well. Working environment in Railways is so filthy that I prefer to surrender. Therefore, I hereby submit my resignation from service with one a month notice with effect from Feb 10, 2021.”

He says since he has beenworking on various reforms in (shifting of freight business to the PRFTC) in line with the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, he shouldn’t have been made the OSD.

“I think my work did not go well with some people within and outside the railways. So when the PM said to make me the OSD, I decided to tender my resignation.”

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2021