ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Railways on Monday slammed the Ministry of Railways for its lack of seriousness and failure to provide accurate data on corruption and financial losses, demanding accountability for officials responsible for misleading parliament.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, criticised the ministry for repeatedly submitting inconsistent information, despite receiving three reminders. He said the failure to comply with parliamentary directives reflected poorly on internal accountability mechanisms within the ministry.

Senator Shahadat Awan, who had requested detailed data on financial losses, corruption cases, and railway accidents over the past five years, described the delayed and inaccurate information as a breach of privilege. He emphasised that transparency and due diligence were crucial, particularly in matters involving millions of public funds.

The committee directed the ministry to identify and penalise those responsible for submitting erroneous data. In response, the railways secretary admitted discrepancies in earlier reports, citing confusion between calendar and fiscal year data, but claimed the information has since been reconciled.

Senate panel seeks action against officials over misleading data on corruption and financial losses

The secretary revealed that 3,230 FIRs were registered over the past five years for theft, embezzlement, and misuse of authority. Losses amounted to Rs212.883 million, of which Rs109.487m had been recovered. A total of 1,555 individuals have been convicted, 309 acquitted, and 1,080 cases remain under trial.

However, Senator Awan questioned the ministry’s lack of disclosure on progress in long-pending FIRs and called for a complete report on unresolved and reopened cases, with active police cooperation.

Financing and infrastructure challenges

The committee also reviewed the status of key railway infrastructure projects. The Railways Secretary said alternate financing arrangements were being explored with development partners for the Karachi-Rohri section of the ML-1 project, which he termed a “strategic bottleneck” in the national rail network.

He assured the committee that options beyond the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were under active consideration and acknowledged the urgent need for investment to keep the railways operational.

Senator Khan raised concerns about rampant land encroachment, particularly in Karachi, where the value of occupied railway land runs into billions. He called for a transparent policy for land recovery and management and directed the ministry to present a comprehensive plan.

The committee also expressed concern over outdated infrastructure and limited train services in underserved regions such as Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025