balck soul
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PAKISTAN Railways is perhaps one of the few remnants of our colonial legacy that we still cherish. Today it is a symbol of despair, incompetence and nepotism. Nations invest billions to develop an infrastructure, while we allowed a fully developed one, with solid foundations, to be destroyed because of the greed and benefit of the few.
This organisation had vast resources and large tracts of land at its disposal. Its revenue comprised mainly of the vast cargo goods train movement, which has been diluted when the National Logistics Cell was set up.
Today we waste billions of dollars on importing fuel to run these fuel-guzzling trucks, while the cost-effective railways has been eroded of its revenues.
Had the state auctioned Pakistan Railways vast real estate properties, trillions of rupees could have been raised and reinvested in order to buy new technology trains and laying of new rail tracks.
Instead of keeping pace with technology, we allowed a functioning locomotive factory to deteriorate for lack of funds. Look at irregularities in the leasing of over 150 acres of land belonging to the Railway Club in Lahore and the handing over of scores of schools to a private business house minting billions by selling education.
Similar is the case in Karachi where hundreds of acres of railway land have been gobbled up by private parties with political clout. The vast majority of people of the subcontinent relied on rail transport as a safe and affordable mode of transportation.
It was the mainstay for primary logistics support in times of war and peace. In India, railways continues to be the biggest state-owned organisation in terms of employees, services, network and area of jurisdiction.
There was a time when Pakistan Railways boasted of having competent men of integrity running it, of the calibre of Mr Akhund. When such professionals were running the railways, it was economically very viable, providing best services for all classes of people.
Pakistan Railways has suffered at the hands of incompetent and corrupt political appointees, which were forced on it by various regimes led by men like Ziaul Haq, Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz.
Corruption reached its peak during the tenure of Ashraf Qazi, who wasted billions on procurement of locomotives and engines, which were not of proper specification and led to damaging the entire rail track system of the country.
This plunder of the railways has continued till to date. One wonders what are the qualifications or expertise of these Kakul Academy graduates or the civil services that everything from Railways, Wapda, PIA, universities, etc., were handed over to them.
Such callous and irresponsible attitude by the various regimes, as well as their turning a blind eye to ignore the persistent rampant corruption, has destroyed Pakistan Railways.
This organisation had vast resources and large tracts of land at its disposal. Its revenue comprised mainly of the vast cargo goods train movement, which has been diluted when the National Logistics Cell was set up.
Today we waste billions of dollars on importing fuel to run these fuel-guzzling trucks, while the cost-effective railways has been eroded of its revenues.
Had the state auctioned Pakistan Railways vast real estate properties, trillions of rupees could have been raised and reinvested in order to buy new technology trains and laying of new rail tracks.
Instead of keeping pace with technology, we allowed a functioning locomotive factory to deteriorate for lack of funds. Look at irregularities in the leasing of over 150 acres of land belonging to the Railway Club in Lahore and the handing over of scores of schools to a private business house minting billions by selling education.
Similar is the case in Karachi where hundreds of acres of railway land have been gobbled up by private parties with political clout. The vast majority of people of the subcontinent relied on rail transport as a safe and affordable mode of transportation.
It was the mainstay for primary logistics support in times of war and peace. In India, railways continues to be the biggest state-owned organisation in terms of employees, services, network and area of jurisdiction.
There was a time when Pakistan Railways boasted of having competent men of integrity running it, of the calibre of Mr Akhund. When such professionals were running the railways, it was economically very viable, providing best services for all classes of people.
Pakistan Railways has suffered at the hands of incompetent and corrupt political appointees, which were forced on it by various regimes led by men like Ziaul Haq, Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz.
Corruption reached its peak during the tenure of Ashraf Qazi, who wasted billions on procurement of locomotives and engines, which were not of proper specification and led to damaging the entire rail track system of the country.
This plunder of the railways has continued till to date. One wonders what are the qualifications or expertise of these Kakul Academy graduates or the civil services that everything from Railways, Wapda, PIA, universities, etc., were handed over to them.
Such callous and irresponsible attitude by the various regimes, as well as their turning a blind eye to ignore the persistent rampant corruption, has destroyed Pakistan Railways.
