ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Railways on Thursday directed Pakistan Railways to submit a detailed report on encroachments along various sections of the railway network, particularly in Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the country.
The committee also directed the Ministry of Railways to provide a comprehensive briefing at its next meeting on the progress of the restructuring and revival plan, as well as the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project and the proposed freight corridor from Pipri to Karachi.
The meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Railways was held at Parliament House, with MNA Ramesh Lal presiding in the absence of the chairman.
The committee reviewed matters relating to railway safety, the implementation of previous recommendations and the overall performance of Pakistan Railways.
It confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on Jan 14 and reviewed in detail the implementation status of its earlier recommendations.
Pakistan Railways officials gave a comprehensive briefing on recent railway accidents, including the collision involving the Shalimar Express at Lakha Road Station in the Sukkur Division and the derailment of the Tezgam Express on the Lodhran-Bahawalpur section.
The committee was informed about the causes of the accidents, the findings of departmental inquiries and the disciplinary action initiated against officials found responsible. It was also briefed on the restructuring, revival and growth plan for Pakistan Railways.
The briefing covered the strategic direction, governance framework, institutional reforms and implementation strategy envisaged under the plan.
The committee reiterated its direction to the ministry to provide a comprehensive briefing at its next meeting on the progress of the restructuring and revival plan, as well as the ML-1 and freight corridor projects.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Ibrar Ahmed, Waseem Qadir, Muhammad Numan, Sadiq Ali Memon, Dr Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, Syed Waseem Hussain, Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui and Muhammad Ilyas Choudhary.
The secretary of the Ministry of Railways, secretary of the Pakistan Railways Board, chief executive officer of Pakistan Railways, along with other senior officers and officials of the ministry and Pakistan Railways, also attended the meeting.
Separately, a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi reviewed the ongoing digital transformation of Pakistan Railways and digital projects planned for the next financial year.
The meeting was attended by the secretary railways, the chief executive officer of Pakistan Railways, members of the IT team and other senior officials.
Participants reviewed the progress of ongoing digitalisation projects and discussed targets for the next financial year.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Abbasi said that, in line with the prime minister’s vision, Pakistan Railways was undergoing the biggest digital transformation in its 78-year history and making significant progress in adopting digital technologies.
The meeting was informed that ticket booking for more than 100 trains was currently available through the Pakistan Railways’ Rabat application, while rapid progress was being made on cashless e-ticketing, free Wi-Fi at major railway stations, a freight management system, rolling stock tracking and other modern facilities.
Participants were also informed that 60 major railway stations across the country had been digitalised, while the Railway Helpline 117 had been activated round the clock, with trained IT staff providing assistance to passengers.
It was further informed that free Wi-Fi had been provided at major railway stations, covering about 70 per cent of passenger traffic so far. The meeting also reviewed plans to establish smart and safe stations at other major railway stations following the inauguration of the Smart and Safe Railway Station in Rawalpindi.
In addition, officials gave a detailed briefing on the e-inspection regime, a modern attendance management system and other administrative reforms.
Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2026