Railways losing battle against encroachment mafia

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
The Pakistan Railways has failed to get its land vacated from the encroachment mafia.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ here on Thursday that the plan to utilise the railway land for commercial purposes after getting it vacated from the encroachment mafia has failed due to litigation.

The plan to this effect was chalked out by former federal minister for railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. The sitting minister for railways, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, also decided to continue with the plan. However the plan could not be materialised as the encroachment mafia not only utilised its political influence but also approached superior courts.

According to sources, the majority of encroachers occupied the railway land about 30 years ago and constructed houses and commercial centres on it.

Sources said that the litigation process is incurring further losses to the Pakistan Railways.

Talking to ‘The News,’ Pakistan Railways (Rawalpindi Division) Superintendent Jalaluddin said: “We are only implementing government orders. All plans are chalked out at the Pakistan Railways Headquarters in Lahore and Ministry of Railways in Islamabad. We are unaware of results of the operation against the encroachment mafia.”

He asked this scribe to contact the Ministry of Railways procurement director for his comments over the matter.

When ‘The News’ contacted the procurement director, he was not available for comments. His personal assistant said that the director was in a meeting and he was not sure when it would finish. “There is no other official to comment over the matter,” he added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=180146