LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) Police Inspector General (IG) on Thursday ordered immediate sealing of those departmental quarters given to private people by the original allottees and registration of FIRs against those occupied by the land grabbers, retrieving the railway property from them.
IG Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan ordered this while presiding over a high-level meeting held here at the PR police headquarters.
During the meeting, the matters related to cases pending before various courts, departmental affairs and important issues concerning Pakistan Railways Police were reviewed.
The IG was briefed about unlawful subletting of 166 quarters in Lahore, 220 in Rawalpindi and 88 in Peshawar. The ratio of such cases in Sukkar division was the highest one as 170 were sublet by the allottees and 813 were detected as occupied by the land grabbers illegally.
The meeting also reviewed cases relating to theft, corruption, misuse of authority, misuse of government resources, encroachments on Pakistan Railways land, railway accidents and departmental proceedings against employees. Pending cases involving the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were also reviewed.
The IG also issued strict directions for preventing diesel theft in Pakistan Railways. The officers were directed to take effective action against those involved in this illegal practice and ensure the protection of government resources at all costs.
On the occasion, he also directed all SPs that no negligence or carelessness in the prosecution of cases pending before courts would be tolerated. He said that the responsibility of the police is not limited to the registration of FIRs; rather, effective investigation of cases, fulfilment of all legal requirements and making every possible effort to ensure that accused persons are brought to justice in accordance with law are also among the responsibilities of the police.
Godowns lease: Pakistan Railways (PR) claimed on Thursday to have attained a record increase of 358.6 per cent in the annual lease of its godowns in the Badami Bagh area.
According to a PR spokesperson, the department achieved this financial milestone through the competitive leasing of its commercial assets -- 125 commercial godowns located at Badami Bagh in an open auction, delivering a massive boost to the department’s annual revenue and liquidity.
Under the newly-finalised auction terms, the annual lease revenue from the godowns will jump from Rs72.2 million to Rs331.08 million, representing a record-breaking increase of 358.6pc.
In addition to this recurring stream, the department claims to receive an upfront lump-sum payment of Rs277.72 million on account of a one-year security deposit. Consequently, the overall cash flow generated from the auction marks an extraordinary surge of 743.5pc over the previous year.
Taking into account both the first year’s lease payment and the upfront security deposit, the total realisation for the PR during the first year would stand at Rs608.80 million.
Commenting on the achievement, Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi affirmed that national interest and transparency remain non-negotiable priorities for the government. He emphasised that transparent asset utilisation directly serves the national exchequer, and he extended his heartfelt congratulations to the railways administration for executing a thoroughly professional auction process.
Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026
