SC seeks plan to make Railways a profitable entity.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday directed Secretary Railways to submit a comprehensive plan within two weeks to make Pakistan Railways a profitable entity. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial conducted hearing of the case related to lease of the Railways land and sought detailed report on Railways land lease plan from the Secretary Pakistan Railways within two weeks. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman informed that a bench of the high court had ordered that not an inch of the Railway land could be leased out. Federal Secretary Railways Muzaffar Ranjha informed the court that Mainline-I (ML-I) is a $9.8 billion project that has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), adding that millions of rupees are required for the project. The Chief Justice remarked that everyone talks about borrowing billions of dollars to start projects, and questioned the progress being made on the infrastructure worth billions of dollars already in the country. He stated that he travelled to Sindh during holidays and said that even today railway tracks are surrounded by floodwater. Justice Bandial said that the railways is the lifeline of Pakistan adding that improvement in the railway system will be a great service to the common man. He noted that encroachments around railway lines are increasing. 'If institutions do not protect their lands, there will be encroachments,' he stated. Justice Ijazul Ahsan inquired from the railways secretary how much profit the ministry is earning annually. The secretary...