Hazara Express accident: Six railway officials suspended, Saad tells NA

ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique informed the National Assembly on Tuesday that six railways officials, whose negligence led to the accident of Hazara Express, had been suspended. He said investigations into the accident near Nawabshah were underway and the final report would be compiled in a couple of days.

Explaining the cause of the accident in the National Assembly, he said two wheels of a bogie were jammed when the train moved from Karachi. Besides, the railway track near the accident site was damaged, which led to the accident. He said six railways officials of BPS-18 and below had been suspended and Rs1.5 million compensation each was being given to the families of deceased passengers.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications and JUIF parliamentary leader in National Assembly Maulana Asad Mahmood, speaking on a point of order, came down hard on Mohsin Dawar for holding the Taliban government in Afghanistan responsible for terror acts in Pakistan. Mohsin Dawar, in his speech at the outset of proceedings on Tuesday, said the blood of innocent people being killed in terror acts should be found on the hands of those who celebrated the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

Asad Mahmood said the same people opposed military operation in tribal areas when there was Ashraf Ghani’s government in Afghanistan and they were supporting it. “On whose hands we should find the blood of innocent people who lost their lives in terror acts during that period,” he said. “We know the difference between Jihad and Fasad,” he said, adding that his party recently convened a Grand National Jirga, which proposed to Pakistan and Afghanistan to formulate a common strategy to fight terrorism.

The House passed two private members bills, including the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Bill 2023 and Wapda University Islamabad Bill 2023. The House will now meet on Wednesday (today) at 2pm.

Earlier, the Ministry of Pakistan Railways has suspended six railway officials in connection with the derailment of Hazara Express near Nawabshah in the light of Rules 5 of Civil Servants Efficiency and Discipline Rule 2020.

According to the notification, Hafiz Badar Ul Arfeen, Divisional Engineer, Sukkur, Arif Ashfaq, Works Manager, Diesel Workshop, Karachi, Musharraf Majeed, Assistant Executive Engineer, Nawabshah, Muhammad Arif, Permanent Way Inspector Shahdadpur, Kangle Keyman Gang No.09 under PWI/SDU, have been suspended after the inquiry held against them.

In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Railways said six officers had been suspended with “immediate effect” and until further orders in connection with the tragedy in light of Rule-5 of Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.