LAHORE – Pakistan Railways has announced the operation of three special trains for Eidul Azha to facilitate passengers travelling during the holiday season.
As per schedule, the first Eid special train will depart from Quetta to Karachi on May 23 while the second special train will leave Karachi for Rawalpindi via Multan, Faisalabad, and Sargodha on May 24.
The third Eid special train will operate from Karachi to Lahore on May 25. Officials said each special train will consist of seven to eight coaches to accommodate increased passenger demand ahead of Eidul Azha.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has, for the first time, not included Peshawar in its Eid special train operations, as no special services have been announced from Karachi, Lahore, or Quetta to the city for the occasion.
A day earlier, Inspector General Railway Police Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan visited the Mughalpura Workshops Division and reviewed administrative, security, and operational arrangements in detail. During the visit, he inspected the SP Office, Railway Police Station Workshops, and Nisar Railway Police Lines, and assessed the overall performance of different branches.
Upon arrival at Mughalpura Workshops Division, SP Workshops Syed Abrar Abbas received the IG Railway Police and briefed him in detail regarding ongoing security measures, railway land retrieval operations, crime prevention initiatives, and actions against railway material theft.
During the visit, the IG also inspected the record room, malkhana, SHO office, and other sections of the Railway Police Station Workshops. He expressed satisfaction over the maintenance and organization of official records. On this occasion, he announced a cash reward of Rs. 10,000 for Head Constable Tabassum Sharif, former record keeper, for maintaining an excellent record system. He further announced rewards of Rs. 50,000 for Railway Band Staff and Rs. 20,000 for the Salami Guard in recognition of their performance.
The IG Railway Police stated that, in line with the vision of Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, a target of retrieving railway land worth Rs. 10 billion has been set for the current year, of which 40% has already been achieved. He noted that the Minister for Railways is taking keen interest in the welfare and capacity-building of Railway Police, including manpower enhancement, provision of vehicles, improved pay package, modern weapons, and advanced security equipment, for which arrangements are being made.
He further stressed that when the Ministry is committed to strengthening the institution, it is the primary responsibility of the Railway Police to accelerate efforts for retrieval of railway land on a massive scale so that it contributes to revenue generation, institutional revival, and the transformation of Pakistan Railways into a self-sustaining and profitable organization.
The IG issued strict directions that encroachments in railway colonies will not be tolerated under any circumstances and immediate action must be taken for their removal. He further directed that strict and accelerated operations be carried out against railway land grabbers and those involved in railway material theft, ensuring zero tolerance and strict legal action against all such elements.
