Senate panel examines recruitment, pensions, security in railways

March 04, 2025 (MLN): Senate Standing Committee on Railways reviewed critical issues affecting Pakistan Railways, including recruitment irregularities, pension reforms, and security challenges.

Chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, the session at Parliament House saw active participation from Senators and senior officials, who emphasized the urgent need for systemic improvements.

Concerns were raised over contractual recruitments, with calls for transparency and merit-based hiring.

Senator Shahadat Awan stressed the importance of converting contractual roles into permanent positions to ensure job security for thousands of employees.

The Chairman directed the submission of a detailed report on recent transfers within the department, reinforcing accountability measures, as APP reported.

The Pakistan Railways Secretary revealed a significant workforce gap, with only 58,000 employees against the required 95,000. He also pointed out the financial strain of the existing pension policy, established in 2015.

The committee recommended adopting international recruitment models for railway police and proposed a contributory pension system to alleviate the government’s financial burden.

Security concerns were a major focus, as Senator Awan highlighted a shortage of 3,000 railway police personnel and inadequate equipment.

The committee mandated the recruitment of 1,000 additional police officers before Eid and emphasized the need for modern security measures, including scanners and explosive detectors, at the country’s top 20 railway stations.

Budgetary issues were also scrutinized, with the committee questioning the repeated revision of the ML-1 project’s PC-1, leading to cost overruns.

The Ministry of Railways assured that all ongoing projects, including the Thar Coal Project, would be completed by 30th June 2025.

Reaffirming its commitment to revitalizing Pakistan Railways, the committee directed the Ministry to submit detailed reports on pension reforms, recruitment, security measures, and budget utilization.

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