LAHORE: The interior ministry has decided to provide the Federal Constabulary (FC) force to the Pakistan Railways (PR) for the security of tracks and rolling stock, retrieving its precious commercial land from illegal occupants in major cities, and elimination of encroachments through joint operations.

Both interior and railways’ ministries also agreed to launch Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) — a modern shuttle train — between Islamabad and Rawalpindi to provide better facilities to the passengers.

“We are ready to provide you our FC for launching joint operations to retrieve the precious commercial [railway] land from grabbers, in major cities,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told railways minister Hanif Abbasi during a meeting held here at the PR headquarters on Monday.

During the meeting, Mr Naqvi was briefed about the railway system, projects and revenue generation, etc by senior officers. He was also apprised of the challenges being faced by the department and strategies to overcome these problems.

The federal force will also be used to retrieve railway land from grabbers

Mr Abbasi, on the occasion, told the interior minister about the upgrade of various railway stations, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Khanewal, Okara and Faisalabad.

While discussing the issue of absence of any shuttle train service between the twin cities (Rawalpindi and Islamabad Margala stations), Mr Naqvi assured Mr Abbasi that senior officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would soon contact the railway’s officers concerned to discuss a plan in this regard.

In response, Mr Abbasi agreed to launch a DMU shuttle train between the twin cities.

According to a senior PR officer, DMU train consists of two specially designed small locomotives attached to a rake of 4-5 modern coaches on the front and rear ends, having a capacity to carry around 400 passengers.

During the meeting, the security measures for the PR assets were reviewed in detail. The interior minister was briefed on special measures taken for the security of railway lines and trains across the country, particularly in Balochistan.

“Every possible measure will be taken to ensure a foolproof security of railway tracks and trains, and full assistance will be provided to the Railway Police,” said Mr Naqvi, adding that the passengers’ safety was his top priority.

He also appreciated the measures taken by Mr Abbasi to improve the PR’s performance.

The PR Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aamir Ali Baloch, Inspector General of Railway Police Rai Tahir and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

“The meeting remained very productive, as the interior minister has agreed to provide us FC troops for launching a coordinated operation to retrieve our precious commercial land and eliminate encroachments,” Mr Abbasi told Dawn after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Mr Abbasi reprimanded the PR’s mechanical department for slackness in resolving various issues. “The rolling stock is the lifeline of the railway, and all efforts to keep it running in good condition must be made,” he said while presiding over a meeting.

“Nothing should be pushed under the carpet, as everything must be crystal clear,” he said, adding that the officers concerned should avoid buying any parts for the trains without the third-party evaluation.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025