Railways: Land Senator’s privilege motion backfires

Kalsoom Parveen adamant to acquire repossessed children’s park

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N Senator Kalsoom Parveen’s privilege motion seeking stern action against railways officials for allegedly misbehaving with her over the repossession of a playground backfired during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges on Monday.

As railways authorities are busy retrieving their encroached lands across the country, Senator Parveen appeared adamant to acquire a children’s playground, located on railways land, without any legal backing. She had moved a privilege motion on January 21 against railways officials for misbehaving with her in Quetta.

Senator Parveen requested the Chairman of the committee Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldeni to take action against the railways officials concerned. However, Divisional Superintendent (DS) of Railways, Quetta Division Hanif Gul denied that railways officials had misbehaved with the lawmaker and revealed to the committee that the lawmaker does not have any legal record proving she had purchased the land.

He said that the railways ministry is retrieving its land from encroachers across the country and this land also belonged to it.

Interestingly, Senator Parveen failed to show any agreement or document establishing that the land belongs to her when the committee questioned her.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2016.