Islamabad: with Outsourcing trainsthe service of Pakistan Railways and through public-private partnerships was enhanced at the Senate Standing Committee meeting of the Senate Railways Standing Committee, which was held in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Senator Rubina Khalid joins the committee, questioning the procedure and rationality of adopting a model that is not widely practiced internationally.
The Commission requested the Ministry of Railways to provide a detailed composition of its outsourcing policies and practices at its next meeting.
She also expressed concern about the closure of trains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for the unified development of railway infrastructure in all provinces.
Senator expresses disappointment about minister, PR officials absent from meeting
Committee Chairman Jam Saifullah Khan announced that the next meeting will be held in Peshawar to specifically review railway projects and facilities in the province.
In addition, Senator Khalid stressed the strategic importance of Afghanistan’s transit trade and stressed the need to extend railway access to the Tokham Pass to enhance regional connectivity.
The committee called for comprehensive highlights of railway instrumentation to assess which regime is best to connect Pakistan with neighboring countries.
Despite prior assurance to ensure compliance, members expressed disappointment with Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and senior officials.
They noted that the working papers submitted to them were neither complete nor provided 72 hours in advance.
Senator Shahadat Awan said that despite repeated instructions from the committee, details of the police report allegedly suspected of corruption of billions of rupees remained missing. He believes that it is very inappropriate to have not shared the complete information with the committee after 11 meetings.
Senator Khalid and Senator Kamil Ali Agha recognized these concerns and stressed that it was unreasonable for members to travel from other cities when the ministry failed to provide relevant data.
The Chairman reminded the Minister that transparent information was guaranteed earlier and directed that at the next meeting, the Minister, Secretary, Inspector General and DIG Railways must provide detailed introduction to the committee. He further instructed that all working papers in the future can be prepared correctly.
The committee also discussed the flood situation and was told that while the old bridge had largely grasped the impact, some departments, including Narowal-Sialkot, were temporarily affected, but Bone has since recovered.
Senator Awan also raised the issue of resuming Budhal Express trains between Rohri and Jacobabad and Mandra-Chakwal railway lines, stressing that people were forced to spend a lot on road trips due to the suspension of these services.
Posted at Dawn on September 17, 2025
