The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday sought detailed record pertaining to efforts being made by Pakistan Railways to ensure mobilisation of ineffective locomotives after getting them repaired on war footing. A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing a suo motu case on deteriorating condition of Pakistan Railways.
The court also directed the Railways Board Secretary to ask Railways Chairman to take immediate steps for opening the accounts of pensioners near their residences on priority basis and transfer money in their accounts. It also directed to submit details of the steps being taken to retrieve other resources of Railways, including properties and sale of tickets at windows.
Appearing on notice, Secretary, Railways Board, Shafiq Ullah, told the court that due to shortage of funds, pensioners were facing problems. However, adequate arrangements were being made to give them pension as soon as possible. He requested the court to pass an order for paying pension from the budget of the federal government, as other departments were taking pension from it.
"Pakistan Railways is a commercial department, which should generate its resources, instead of looking towards the federal government", the Chief Justice remarked. He said that the crisis was prevailing for the last four months, but Railways authorities did not bother to resolve the matter on priority basis.
He said that non-payment to the pensioners of Railways was a violation of human rights, as pension was the right of all retired government employees. He said the court could halt payment of salaries of high-ranking officials of Pakistan Railways if dues of the pensioners were not cleared immediately.
In reply to a court query about overall condition of Railways department, the Secretary submitted that there were 106 trains off the track now because of faults in locomotives. He said that around 362 locomotives were non-functional due to mechanical fault. However, negotiations were underway with different companies for repairing 273 locomotives.
The Chief Justice asked the Secretary why he did not resign when Railways engines were out of order and the trains'' operation in the country was suspended. "Brilliant people of the country had made nuclear bomb many years ago, but unfortunately Railways officials were not able to repair engines", the Chief Justice remarked.
He said many officers holding the posts for a long time had failed to deliver and if they could not perform their duties they should give chance to someone else as the country abounds with talented people. He said that personal interests of a few had destroyed the system of Pakistan Railways. A former minister for Railways, Rasheed Ahmad, told the court that he was filing an application to become party in the case as more than 100 million people were suffering due to stoppage of trains. The court told him that it would hear his viewpoint on next date of hearing. The hearing was adjourned till October 31.