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ISLAMABAD, Mar 03 (APP): Senate Standing Committee on Railways addressed critical challenges plaguing Pakistan Railways, including recruitment irregularities, pension reforms, and security vulnerabilities.
The session, chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, held at Parliament House, saw active participation from Senators and senior officials, who underscored the urgent need for systemic improvements.
The committee raised alarms over contractual recruitments, calling for transparency and merit-based hiring.
Senator Shahadat Awan emphasized the necessity of converting contractual roles into permanent positions, a move aimed at ensuring job security for thousands of employees.
The Chairman directed the submission of a detailed report on recent transfers within the department, signaling a push for accountability.
Pakistan Railways Secretary revealed a staggering workforce gap, with only 58,000 employees against a required 95,000.
He also highlighted the financial unsustainability of the current pension policy, formulated in 2015.
The committee recommended exploring international recruitment models for railways police and proposed a contributory pension system to ease the government’s financial burden.
Security concerns took center stage as Senator Awan pointed out a shortage of 3,000 railway police personnel and inadequate equipment.
The committee mandated the recruitment of 1,000 additional police staff before Eid and stressed the need for modern security gadgets, such as scanners and explosive detectors, at the country’s top 20 railway stations.
Budgetary issues also came under scrutiny, with the committee questioning the repeated revision of the ML-1 project’s PC-1, which has led to significant cost overruns.
The Ministry of Railways assured that all ongoing projects, including the Thar Coal Project, would be completed by 30th June 2025.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to revitalizing Pakistan Railways, directing the Ministry to submit detailed reports on pension reforms, recruitment, security measures, and budget utilization.