Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has taken strict action against officials over delays in installing air-conditioners in express trains. On Thursday, he ordered all ACs at the Pakistan Railways (PR) headquarters, including the CEO's office, to be turned off.

 

This decision was not well received by many senior officers, who called the move inhumane. 

 

"If anything wrong has happened, the minister should order an inquiry to fix responsibility instead of getting the ACs switched off," one of the officials said.

 

He also criticised the minister for cancelling the Saturday public holiday, calling it "ridiculous" and "unjustified." 

 

According to the official, around 70 AC units were switched off at the headquarters.

 

Abbasi defended his decision, saying officials must understand the suffering of passengers who paid for AC coaches but did not get the promised facilities. "The department was supposed to receive as many as 100 AC units by June 10, but they received only four," he said.

 

"The officers concerned should have placed supply orders with four or five firms to ensure timely delivery. Instead, they gave the order to just one vendor," he pointed out, adding that even this vendor was contacted late, and the order should have been placed before the summer began.

 

The minister warned that if complaints about non-working ACs in trains continue, ACs in divisional headquarters across all seven divisions will also be switched off in phases.

 

Abbasi also spoke about his own efforts during Eid. "I didn't spend time with my family during the Eid holidays. I started my journey from Rawalpindi on the third day of Eid," he said. He went to Okara to offer condolences to the family of a railway official who died in the partial collapse of the Khanewal station bridge. He also inspected the Okara station and, on public demand, contacted the DG Passports to set up a passport office in the city.

 

At Khanewal, he met passengers who complained about non-operational ACs in their coaches. "This forced me to take action, and I finally did," he said. Abbasi added that he is personally monitoring various inquiries and promised to protect the rights of passengers by all means.

 

He also mentioned that Rs26 billion has been allocated in the federal budget for the railway sector under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). "Though I am not satisfied with this allocation, it will help us complete ongoing development schemes," he said.