LHC strikes down suspension of trains

LHC orders immediate restoration of six trains that had been suspended in June.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered immediate restoration of six trains that had been suspended in June following financial losses.

A division bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, declared the notification of closure of trains illegal and directed the railways authorities to submit a compliance report within two weeks.

Justice Sharif also told the authorities to constitute a committee comprising industrialists, experts, senior railways officers and civil society members to find the causes of and a solution for the huge losses.

The court observed that suspension of the trains was illegal and without any lawful authority. The department, they said, should have gathered suggestions and recommendations before taking such a step.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the vice-president of the railways’ workers union Shaukat Ali Chaudhry who had challenged the suspension of the six trains, which were Mehran Express, Sialkot Express, Sakhi Abbas Express, Tezrao Express, Chiltan Express and Shalimar Express. The petitioner had submitted that the railways had decided to stop the trains instead of controlling its losses, which had multiplied the miseries of passengers and rendered hundreds jobless. Chaudhry said that the railways spent Rs1 billion on its VIP saloon service every year.  He prayed that the court declare the notification illegal and order restoration of the trains.

The railways, through its counsel, pleaded that hundreds of trains were burnt during the countrywide protest against Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Increasing prices of engine oils was another problem. The counsel said that the earning of closed trains was Rs1066.828 million against a cost of Rs2470.55 million, which had compelled the railways to stop the trains. He said that 212 trains were still functioning across Pakistan which was enough to cater to the intended passengers. He said that only those trains had been suspended that had been generating only five per cent in revenue against 95 per cent in loss.

Following the court’s verdict, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani barred Pakistan Railways from increasing fares and suspending train services.

According to sources, the railways minister received a letter from the PM’s Secretariat that the decision to raise railway fares should be stopped until further notice. The Pakistan Railways is due to present its report to the prime minister on September 27 to discuss the issues being faced by the ministry.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has said that the Pakistan Railways will obey the LHC’s orders and restore all six trains.

Addressing a press conference at the Railway Headquarters in Lahore on Monday, he said that the railways had decided not to increase fares despite an increase in fuel prices. He said that a delegation would meet the PM to discuss a shortage of funds as former finance minister Shaukat Tareen had promised to provide Rs5 billion to the department. “If the funds are received, the railways would be able to repair 30 locomotives,” he said.

Earlier, Bilour presided over a meeting of the Pakistan Railways and asked officers to improve their performance. (With additional input from Agencies)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2010.