Fafen says PR remained under National Assembly's scrutiny during last 5 years

Pakistan Railways, which is facing administrative and financial crisis, remained under National Assembly's scrutiny during the last five years, as parliamentarians asked queries about the closure of PR's routes, financial difficulties, delay in salaries, corruption, land and property and other issues from the Ministry of Railways.
According to a report released by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), an NGO, the parliamentarians asked 568 questions during the question hour sessions in the five parliamentary years (48 sessions of the 13th National Assembly from March 2008 to January 2013) from the Ministry of Railways. MNA of the main opposition party, PML-N asked most of the questions - 346. Their major concern was rights of the Pakistan Railways' employees aired through 43 questions, followed by 24 questions about accounts, 20 about illegal occupation of land and property and 18 about different routes.
The overall trend was similar. Legislators submitted questions regarding the financial crunch (47), routes' closure (37), and occupation of land and property (32). Parliamentarians asked a further 28 questions about planned projects to overcome the financial and administrative crisis faced by Pakistan Railways.
In a written reply in the 44 session in the fifth parliamentary year, the Minister for Railways told the National Assembly that 42.23 billion rupees foreign loans and 40 billion rupees indigenous loans from State Bank of Pakistan are outstanding against Pakistan Railways. However, in another written reply during the same session the minister said to overcome the present crisis, Pakistan Railways planned repair and maintenance of existing locomotives, besides buying new ones through revenue/PSDP budget, bank loans, as well as private sector participation.
According to the Economic Affairs Survey, Pakistan Railways carried 74.9 million passengers in 2009-10, 64.9 million in 2010-11 and 25 million passengers from July 2011 to February 2012. Earnings have also dipped. From 21 billion rupees in 2009-10, the earnings came down to 18 billion rupees in 2010-11 and a little more than nine billion rupees from July 2011 to February 2012[1]
As many as 30 percent parliamentarians (101 out of the total membership of 342) - 67 male and 34 female - asked questions during the five parliamentary years. None of the legislators of BNP-A, NPP and PML-F submitted questions about the Ministry of Railways. Most of the questions directed to the Ministry of Railways were asked by PML-N (340), followed by MQM (110), PPP-P (78), PML (20), ANP (four), IND (three) and MMAP submitted two questions. Overall, the Ministry of Railways was prompt in providing answers to the parliamentarians' queries. It provided answers to 491 questions while did not respond 65 questions. One question was partially answered.