Not one, but all ministers would have to resign if conduct taken into account: IHC

Ministries of interior and railways submit report in court, hold 15 people responsible for Tezgam Express tragedy

ISLAMABAD:

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) observed on Friday that if conduct is considered a basis, all ministers would have to resign.

This was observed by the judge while hearing a plea seeking investigation of the Tezgam Express tragedy wherein the petitioner contended that the railway's minister should have resigned due to his conduct on the calamity.

“Resignation is always tendered on moral grounds,” the judge remarked. “But, morality has not yet reached that level in Pakistan,” he stated.

Justice Kayani further remarked that the interior ministry was conducting its own inquiry, the police and the railways their own.

“The entire investigation of the Lahore motorway gang-rape tragedy is also being carried out in the media,” the judge said. “The entire country is acting like an investigation officer on the issue,” he said.

During the hearing, the ministries of interior and railways submitted a report that holds 15 people responsible for the tragedy. They also informed the court that disciplinary action has been initiated against all of them.

The report found Karachi’s deputy divisional superintendent, divisional commercial officer, SHOs of Hyderabad and Khanpur guilty of negligence, while reservation supervisor Qamar Shah has also been held responsible for irregularities.

Five head constables along with a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat and two private waiters have been held directly responsible for the tragedy.

In October 2019, at least 74 lives were snuffed out and more than 90 others were injured when a blaze triggered by a cooking gas cylinder blast swept through a passenger train that was en route to Rawalpindi from Karachi on Thursday.

The cylinder was said to be brought on board the Tezgam Express by some passengers belonging to the Tableeghi Jamaat. Several bogies caught fire when the train was chugging past Liaquatpur city in the southern Punjab district of Rahim Yar Khan, according to officials.