News
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Corruption has penetrated blood of PR officers: CJP* Justice Iftikhar Chuadhry directs Railways secretary to submit comprehensive report on Railways
* Says it is disappointing that there is no one in nuclear power country who can repair engines
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Expressing his annoyance over non-payment of pensions and salaries to the railways employees, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on Friday, observed that corruption had penetrated in the blood of Railways officers, as a bulb of Rs 7 cost Railways Rs 400. “Railways land is being encroached but none is striving to retrieve it,” he said. The CJP said that corruption in Railways had reached its pinnacle, as non-payment of pensions to the former railways workers was an example of bad governance and also violation of Article 9 and 14 of the constitution.
A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, while hearing a suo motu case over the non-payment of pensions and salaries to the railway employees, directed the railways secretary to submit details of the steps being taken to retrieve other resources of railways, including properties and sale of tickets at windows.
The CJP said that the court would continue to give instructions to the government officials for the national interest.
He observed that railways officials were busy in talks but had not taken any practical step to repair engines, adding due to non-serious attitude of the top management, Pakistan Railways (PR) was on the verge of closure, while high-ranking officers were busy saving their jobs.
The chief justice said that due to conflict among the officials, who had their vested interests, PR was facing problems. One group wants to purchase engines from China, while the other group wants to buy engines from some other country.
He said that Pakistan had become a nuclear power, but there was none in the country who could repair the railways engines, which is quite disappointing.
The CJP asked Railways Board Secretary Shafiqullah, who appeared before the court, that there were expert engineers in Heavy Mechanical Complex and in the army.
The secretary acknowledged that 362 engines were out-of-order, however negotiations were underway with different companies for the repair of 273 locomotives.
He said lower personnel were facing difficulties, as they had not opened their accounts in banks.
He said they were cooperating with the private sector to enhance railways’ revenue and in this regard holding talks with domestic and foreign engineers.
Addressing Railways Board secretary, the CJP said, “Don’t play with the lives of poor employees.”
The CJP added, “You should have resigned as 100 trains have been closed. For how long the government will provide funds to the railways. Railways has to generate its own funds.”
During the course of proceedings, former federal minister for railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who was present in the court, pleaded to become a party in the case.
The court accepted his plea regarding the matter.
The court taking notice of the railways chairman absence asked the secretary, “Why has the chairman not come?” The secretary replied that the chairman had gone to Lahore for inquiry on the order of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk