LAHORE: The railways ministry has asked the National Accountability Bureau to launch thorough probes into the six high-profile corruption cases related to Pakistan Railways (PR) and private parties.
Since the ministry has sent references to NAB recently in this regard, it has also constituted a four-member committee to coordinate with the NAB, Dawn has learnt.
The decision to send references and constitute the committee was made after the PR administration couldn’t take action due to litigation and various administrative issues, leaving the authorities with no option but to approach the accountability watchdog.
The committee constituted comprises M. Hafeezullah, General Manager Infrastructure (Focal Person/head of the committee), Shahid Abbas Malik (Director General, Property & Land), Tariq Anwar Sipra (Chief Commercial Manager and Salman Kazmi (Legal Adviser).
Committee will provide all relevant record to the bureau
According to a letter, the ministry of railways has written to the NAB chairman that the nominated committee shall keep liaison with the NAB authorities for the high-profile cases and shall be responsible for providing the relevant records, contracts, financial data as well as for furnishing verified information, comments to NAB through focal person, as and when required during the course of investigation.
The letter mentions the cases (references) which the NAB is probing these days. These include the one titled “Four Brothers Train Operator of Pak Business Express” worth Rs2.762 billion, followed by the second regarding Rs2.160bn recovery of outstanding rentals from M/s MHPL on account of leasing of Royal Palm Golf & Country Club involving the PR’s land measuring 141 acres. The other references include lease/swap of the PR land for construction of businessman trust Shalimar hospital, Lahore involving Rs23bn and 18 acre land, land lease charges against Etisalat/PTCL at Chaman (Rs13.012bn and 6.03 acres land), illegal occupation of the PR land, M/s Gul Ahmed at Jumma Goth, Karachi (Rs2bn, 6.03 acres, 42 acres land) and illegal leasing and possession of five food godown and one office at Mardan Railway Station (Rs250m, two acres land).
“These cases had been pending for long with the PR administration, as the defendants used to have indulged in massive litigation involving railways,” Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi told Dawn when contacted.
According to him, in a recent meeting with the NAB, the PR authorities discussed these cases in depth and reached a consensus on investigation. “During the meeting, I, while heading the PR authorities, requested the NAB to probe into these cases. On this, the NAB chairman asked me to nominate a committee that could provide us all relevant record,” Mr Abbasi said, adding the committee constituted would be responsible to assist the NAB in deciding these references.
Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2025
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