KARACHI, Jan 29: The federal government has extended the jurisdiction of the railways police to include the residential colonies, installations and properties of the Pakistan Railways (PR).

Informed sources told Dawn that a notification enhancing the power and authority of the railways police across the country had been issued by the government a week ago.

They said the main purpose of enhancing the jurisdiction of the railways police was to take effective action against the land-grabbers and encroachers who had illegally occupied prized land belonging to the railways across the country. The sources said the federal government had assured the Pakistan Railways of providing all material and infrastructural assistance to make the railways police more effective and efficient.

Senior Superintendent of the Railways Police Malik Mohammed Afzal told Dawn that he had already made a requisition for increasing the strength of the railways police in the division.

“We have also requested the authorities to provide us with equipment such as trucks, bulldozers and dumpers for an effective anti-encroachment action on the illegally-occupied land of the department,” he said.

He said the survey of all the railways colonies, installations and properties was being conducted in the Karachi division. “Once the survey is completed and the encroachments are identified, we will initiate stern action against the encroachers,” he added.

Sources said the PR owned even more properties and acreage than the Sindh government did in the province.

They added that over 30 per cent of railways land had been illegally occupied by land-grabbers and encroachers alone in Karachi.

However, they said, the task of removing illegal encroachments in the railways colonies and other railways land was all the more difficult as an anti-encroachment action could lead to a law and order situation.

The sources said the prime task of the railways police was, however, to protect the railways land, which was vulnerable to encroachments.

Besides, they said, the railways police would also be responsible for policing the railways colonies and other installations once the notification was implemented in letter and spirit.

The sources said that though the notification also empowered the railways police to take cognizance of any offences covered under the Pakistan Penal Code in the railways colonies and on the railways land, it would not be feasible and practical for the railways police to get involved in routine policing.

They said the maintenance of law and order rested with the district police, which had the required manpower and equipment for the purpose.

Meanwhile, the sources said the enhancement of the jurisdiction of the railways police was actually deliberated upon by the former railways minister, Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed, who wanted the retrieval of the occupied railways land.

They said the former railways minister had taken up the matter with the federal government following certain reports regarding the non-cooperation of the district police with the railways police in anti-encroachment actions.

When contacted by Dawn, senior officials of the home and police departments expressed ignorance about the issuance of such a notification regarding the railways police.

A senior home department official said he had not seen the notification as “it could be in the official postal process,” while senior police officers were also not aware of the development.