Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial remarked on Monday that people were suffering only because of the government departments borrowing billions of dollars to complete projects. The apex court ordered the secretary Railways to submit a comprehensive plan within two weeks to make Pakistan Railway a profitable department.
A three-member bench headed by CJ Bandial heard the case regarding the lease of the Railway Golf Club.
During the hearing, Railways Secretary Muzaffar Ranjha sought the court’s permission to lease out railway land to generate revenue. He told the court that ML1 was a $9.8 billion project which was approved by ECNEC.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the performance of Pakistan Railways, the chief justice said that everyone was talking about borrowing billions of dollars to implement projects. “There had already been the infrastructure in the country worth billions of dollars but nothing has been delivered so far,” Justice Bandial added.
The chief justice said that during court vacations he had travelled in a train and witnessed that there was still floodwater stranded on both sides of the railway track.
The Additional Attorney General told the court during the hearing that the Supreme Court has given a detailed decision in 2021, in which the lease and sale of railway land had been banned. “Due to the court decision, the golf club’s lease process has been put on hold,” he added.
The chief justice replied that railways could not be licensed to sell and lease land. However, the chief justice added, that it could be considered only if railways provide the entire business plan.
Quoting a supplement published by The Economist on the infrastructure of Pakistan CJ Bandial said that the “country needs performance and efficiency, not luxurious comforts”.
“Railway is the lifeline of Pakistan. Improvement in the railway system will be a great service to the common man,” he remarked, adding that encroachments around railway lines are increasing.
The railway secretary told the court that they wanted to commercialize the railways’ land which was not being used, to which the chief justice said why did the railways not take permission from the federal government.
“A housing society was built on railway land near Old Islamabad Airport. The land has been given to the Railways for operational purposes and not for commercial purposes,” Justice Ijazul Ahsan said and added that encroachments around the railway lines were increasing. “If the departments do not protect their lands, there will be encroachments.”
Justice Bandial questioned what would be done with commercial activities if the railway operations become zero. “Two people were killed when a rickshaw was hit by a train on the Khanewal section of Lahore. The accident was a result of stupidity and mismanagement,” CJ Bandial remarked and added why were the railway lines not made safe like motorways.
Justice Ahsan questioned how much profit the railway was earning annually. To which the secretary Railways replied that the annual profit target of the railways last year was 58 billion rupees and that the railways earned 62 billion rupees in the year 2022.
Justice Ahsan said that “if one of the train engines breaks down, they remove it from the other train and install it. Is this how the railway system is being run?”
CJ Bandial said that the project worth billions of rupees would not be allowed to be discussed in this court. “The railway track from Quetta is disconnected, ask the Chinese brothers how to remove the stagnant flood water, and improve the railway system. The same railway system is running in the neighboring country, so why not in Pakistan?”
The court then adjourned the hearing of the case and sought a detailed report from the secretary Railway in two weeks regarding the details of the land and future planning.
