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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved a plan for complete ‘overhaul’ of the Pakistan Railways, in line with the Word Bank and IMF’s policy of pressing Pakistan for restructuring of the state entities that are causing huge losses to the national kitty.
For years, Pakistan Railways, the country’s ‘richest’ organisation in terms of assets, has been inflicting billions of losses annually to the national exchequer and has now virtually become a ‘white elephant’.
The decision to revamp railways was taken at a meeting chaired by Nawaz Sharif at his office on April 3, 2014. A notification in this regard was issued by a high ranking official of the PM’s office on April 15, 2014, stating that ‘he has been directed to convey the decisions taken in the meeting on Railways affairs under the chairmanship of the prime minister for implementation of outstanding actions’. According to the notification, the decisions were taken in a bid to restructure the sole land transportation service in the government sector.
Some of the major decisions included: revival of the old Railway Board which was made redundant in the 1980s and induction of private persons from the market at the level of chairman and general managers. The notification reads, “The Railways Board will comprise a total of nine members to be nominated from Railways professionals and the private sector. Chairman Railways will be from the private sector ‘MP-1’ and will be the ex-officio secretary.”
Spelling out the constitution of the Railways Board, the notification read, “Out of the remaining eight members of the board, four will be from the Railways, three from the private sector and one from the audit and accounts service.” Interestingly, the post of general manager will be considered for up-gradation to BS-22, a status equal to the status of chairman Railways or MP-1 officer.
“The Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta railway stations will be renovated and refurbished without changing the historical character of the buildings,” the document said. In compliance to this, the railways authorities have been asked to submit proposals for development of state-of-the-art shopping malls, restaurants and swimming pools at railways property by shifting the residential colonies of railways employees from key locations.
Ironically, the steps taken for restructuring of the organisation did not specify how the core business of train operations will be improved and how more revenues will be generated to pull the organisation out of loss. Instead, officials alleged that the entire process was aimed at getting control of the prime land of the organisation situated mostly in cantonment areas across the major cities. “The primary beneficiaries of the government’s plan will include some of the blue-eyed persons from the ruling PML-N,” well-placed sources told Daily Times.
Govt moves to ‘overhaul’ Pakistan Railways
For years, Pakistan Railways, the country’s ‘richest’ organisation in terms of assets, has been inflicting billions of losses annually to the national exchequer and has now virtually become a ‘white elephant’.
The decision to revamp railways was taken at a meeting chaired by Nawaz Sharif at his office on April 3, 2014. A notification in this regard was issued by a high ranking official of the PM’s office on April 15, 2014, stating that ‘he has been directed to convey the decisions taken in the meeting on Railways affairs under the chairmanship of the prime minister for implementation of outstanding actions’. According to the notification, the decisions were taken in a bid to restructure the sole land transportation service in the government sector.
Some of the major decisions included: revival of the old Railway Board which was made redundant in the 1980s and induction of private persons from the market at the level of chairman and general managers. The notification reads, “The Railways Board will comprise a total of nine members to be nominated from Railways professionals and the private sector. Chairman Railways will be from the private sector ‘MP-1’ and will be the ex-officio secretary.”
Spelling out the constitution of the Railways Board, the notification read, “Out of the remaining eight members of the board, four will be from the Railways, three from the private sector and one from the audit and accounts service.” Interestingly, the post of general manager will be considered for up-gradation to BS-22, a status equal to the status of chairman Railways or MP-1 officer.
“The Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta railway stations will be renovated and refurbished without changing the historical character of the buildings,” the document said. In compliance to this, the railways authorities have been asked to submit proposals for development of state-of-the-art shopping malls, restaurants and swimming pools at railways property by shifting the residential colonies of railways employees from key locations.
Ironically, the steps taken for restructuring of the organisation did not specify how the core business of train operations will be improved and how more revenues will be generated to pull the organisation out of loss. Instead, officials alleged that the entire process was aimed at getting control of the prime land of the organisation situated mostly in cantonment areas across the major cities. “The primary beneficiaries of the government’s plan will include some of the blue-eyed persons from the ruling PML-N,” well-placed sources told Daily Times.
Govt moves to ‘overhaul’ Pakistan Railways
