Notices issued to Pakistan Railways in train privatisation case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Friday put on notice general manager and superintendent of Pakistan Railways in Peshawar in a writ petition filed against privatisation of the Khushal Khan Khattak Express, one of the three trains plying between Peshawar and Karachi.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Nisar Hussain Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued the notice in a writ petition filed by Reedullah, railway station master, who had challenged the privatisation.

During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyers Syed Abdul Fayyaz and Inam Jan, submitted that the federal government had decided to privatise the Khushal Khan Khattak Express and it would be handed over to a private company from August 1.

They submitted that after privatisation, fare of the train would increase which would be an injustice with the poor passengers of the province and Karachi as well. They said that with the privatisation discount for the railways employees would end.

The lawyers argued that the property of government would be used but income would go to the private company.

They submitted that such experiments had been carried out in the past. They said the government was doing it only to acknowledge one person and the said company had already defaulter of the Pakistan Railways.

They prayed the court to declare the decision on privatisation of the train as void. The bench admitted the writ petition for hearing and issued notice to GM Pakistan Railways to submit reply before August 16, the next hearing of the petition.

The Pakistan Railways has decided to privatise the Khushal Khan Khattak Express, one of the three trains plying between Peshawar and Karachi.Currently Awami Express, Khyber Mail and Khushal Express leave Peshawar for Karachi on a daily basis and the authorities have decided to privatise the latter to make it profitable.“Privatisation means that only commercial management of Khushal Express is being handed over to a company, like ticketing, luggage van, dining car,” said an official of the Railways.