Railways tightens accountability

ISLAMABAD: The Inspector General of Railways Police has intensified efforts to combat corruption and serious negligence among officers and employees, resulting in the dismissal of two officers.
The dismissed officials include Faiz Rasool, an Office Superintendent from the Karachi Division, and Adeel Maeen, a Head Clerk from the Sukkur Division. Both were terminated for serious neglect of their duties, spokesperson, Railways Police stated.
In addition, Fazal Mahmood, the Private Secretary to the DIG South, has been suspended pending a detailed inquiry regarding corruption allegations.
Following the special directives from the IG Railways Police, several employees have been dismissed for corruption and negligence.
The IG of the Railways Police is committed to making the force efficient and free from corruption.
As part of this ongoing accountability process, multiple transfers have been made due to poor performance and numerous complaints received against various officers.  Moreover, Pakistan has decided to enter into separate agreements with China for Phase-I and Phase-II of the Mainline One (ML-1) project, a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related to upgrading the railway network in Pakistan.
According to sources, Pakistan and China have decided not to sign the entire $6.8 billion ML-1 agreement at once. Instead, separate agreements will be made for Phase-I and Phase-II of the railway project.
The sources said a new agreement for Phase-I, valued at $3.2 billion, is expected to be finalized next month. For Phase-II, a feasibility study will be conducted after the completion of the first phase before an agreement is signed.
In Phase-I of the ML-1 project, the railway line from Karachi to Hyderabad and Hyderabad to Multan will be upgraded, while in the second phase, the line from Multan to Peshawar will be built.
Financing terms and conditions for the agreement will be finalized with Chinese officials this month, and a feasibility study for Phase-II will be conducted after the completion of Phase-II.
The sources said long-term financing will be secured from China for Phase-I of the ML-1 project. Pakistan is also seeking loans from China at a lower interest rate for the project. –Agencies