KARACHI: More than 5,000 acres of Pakistan Railways (PR) land is under encroachment in Sindh and currently in the use of different individuals, groups and even business organisations for residential, commercial and agriculture purposes for the past many years.

This was transpired during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways held here at the office of the divisional superintendent at the City Station.

Tuesday’s session was the first of the committee’s three-day engagements in the metropolis.

The committee led by its chairman Muhammad Mueen Wattoo raised several issues and put several questions before the railways authorities about quality of service, punctuality and challenges being faced by the PR.

Encroached land is being used for agriculture, commercial and religious purposes

While briefing the committee, DS-Karachi Hanif Gul informed the members about the current status of PR’s encroached land and that despite an aggressive anti-encroachment operation being carried out in coordination with law enforcement agencies a huge part of its property remained in illegal use.

“The committee members were informed that the PR possessed 45,663 acres of land in its Karachi and Sukkur divisions and 39,759 of acres is in operational use,” said a statement issued after the NA committee’s visit.

“About 1,810 acres of railway land was encroached for residential purposes, 291 acres for commercial purposes, 2,968 acres being used for agriculture while 112 acres of its land is occupied for mosques, imambargahs,” the body was told.

48 trains operating from Karachi division

The PR officers also briefed the meeting about their efforts regarding retrieving thousands of acres during operations against encroachment.

The standing committee members included MNAs Muhammad Bashir Khan, Nauman Islam Sheikh, Nusrat Wahid, Aftab Jehangir, Engr Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani.

PR Chief Executive Officer Nisar Memon, DS Gul, DCO-Karachi Nasir Nazeer and other senior officers attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the committee recommended improvements in railways functioning including increase in number of passenger trains, upgrade of railway stations, punctuality of trains and others.

Mr Gul informed the committee members that 48 trains were operating in Karachi division. Eight of them are offering intercity services, 36 are mail or express trains and four trains are being plied for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), he said.

“About punctuality, Karachi division has maintained 81.21 per cent punctuality of timings,” the statement quoted the DS as telling the NA committee.

“The committee was apprised that the China Creek bridge with single line has been restored while tracks have also been completely renewed. Three trains including Shah Latif Express, Saman Sarkar Express and Marvi Express have been restored this year keeping in view the passenger facilitation and public delivery.”

The DS-Karachi also informed the meeting that installation of high tension and low tension network by the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) had been completed in PR’s residential colonies in Hyderabad, Tando Adam and Mirpurkhas.

For installation of the same networks in railways colonies in Karachi, he said, an agreement had been signed with the K-Electric.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021