Employees of Pakistan Railways protest against corruption, privatisation
Members of the Karachi division of the Prem Union gather at the Karachi City Station on Thursday.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The employees of the Pakistan Railways on the call of the Pakistan Railways Employees (Prem) Union (CBA) Karachi held a protest against the privatisation of the Pakistan Railways and the corruption which is plaguing the already limping organisation.
Members of the Karachi division of the Prem Union gathered outside the Divisional Superintendent office at the Karachi City Station on Thursday.
The protesters accused the Multan Divisional Superintendent of taking bribes for recruiting people into the Pakistan Railways, demanding that he should be removed from his post. They also asked that others found involved in corruption should be expelled and handed over to the National Accountability Bureau.
Raja Abdul Munaf, president of the Prem Union Karachi warned that if timely action was not taken against the corrupt officers, then the Pakistan Railways’ general manager would be held responsible.
“In our earlier protests, we used to warn that if our demands were not met, we would bring the operations of the railways to a halt,” said Munaf. “But since the Pakistan Railways has already come to a standstill, our warning has changed to starting the operations of the organisation if no one pays heed to our concerns.”
He clarified that the employees were not against the privatisation of the Pakistan Railways but they wanted it done through the right procedure. “These companies should have brought their own engines and coaches instead of using ours.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2013.
The employees of the Pakistan Railways on the call of the Pakistan Railways Employees (Prem) Union (CBA) Karachi held a protest against the privatisation of the Pakistan Railways and the corruption which is plaguing the already limping organisation.
Members of the Karachi division of the Prem Union gathered outside the Divisional Superintendent office at the Karachi City Station on Thursday.
The protesters accused the Multan Divisional Superintendent of taking bribes for recruiting people into the Pakistan Railways, demanding that he should be removed from his post. They also asked that others found involved in corruption should be expelled and handed over to the National Accountability Bureau.
Raja Abdul Munaf, president of the Prem Union Karachi warned that if timely action was not taken against the corrupt officers, then the Pakistan Railways’ general manager would be held responsible.
“In our earlier protests, we used to warn that if our demands were not met, we would bring the operations of the railways to a halt,” said Munaf. “But since the Pakistan Railways has already come to a standstill, our warning has changed to starting the operations of the organisation if no one pays heed to our concerns.”
He clarified that the employees were not against the privatisation of the Pakistan Railways but they wanted it done through the right procedure. “These companies should have brought their own engines and coaches instead of using ours.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2013.