Meter-Gauge Staff Being Paid Salaries Despite Closure of Train Service Since 10 Years

MIRPURKHAS -- Train service on narrow meter-gauge railway lines from Mirpurkhas Junction railway station to various towns of the area was stopped almost 10 years ago; however, all staff deputed on the closed railway stations of meter-gauge section still enjoys full monthly salaries and other benefits, without doing any work. The word 'gauge' of a track in railway terminology means the distance between two parallel rails. The network of the Pakistan Railway has three gauges viz., Broad Gauge (5' 6? wide), Narrow Gauge (2' 6? wide) and Meter Gauge (3' 3 3/8? or 1000mm wide). In past the meter gauge railway with a network of 517 kilometer track was considered as the most dependable mode of transport in the desert areas of Sindh province; however, later after the introduction of broad-gauge tracks and extensive network of black-topped roads, this sector slowly withered. Today, some 325 kilometers of meter gauge track is present, albeit in dilapidated condition, and after the conversion of main Mirpurkhas-Khokhrapar route to broad gauge now no steam locomotive chugs on this disbanded track. Similarly, the meter gauge track from Mirpurkhas to Shaheed Benazirabad, Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Digri, Tando Jan Muhammad, Jhaddo, Roshanabad, Fazal Bhambhro and other towns is no more active service; however, railway staff is still posted on the disbanded railway stations of the section and getting regular salaries, without performing any duty. Majority of the physical railways assets along the meter-gauge track, including buildings of railway stations, officers' bungalows and staff quarters are badly damaged due to the negligence, vandalism and theft of furniture, fixture and equipment. Corrupt railway officials have even sold out the doors, windows and iron guarders of roofs of these structures. Now even bricks of these buildings are being sold. Thousands of trees of these railway premises have been chopped and their wood has been sold to the timber mafia. There is an interesting history of the introduction of the meter gauge railway in Sindh province. The Karachi Port, functioning since 1800s, was the closest land stop to undivided India for all the sea freight coming from Britain, rest of Europe and the Middle East. There was however no direct rail-link between Karachi and Bombay area. Goods taken off at Karachi port had to be first transported 1200 km north to Lahore and then east ward to rest of the Indian states. In case of Gujrat, Maharashtra and Rajhastan, the goods had to go north, east and then back south. This placed Karachi port at a great disadvantage to the port of Bombay. Unlike Karachi, from Bombay freight could be transported all over India with almost direct routes. In 1890s, this situation evoked representations from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and the local authorities, who pressed for the extension of current railway line east of Hyderabad (Sindh). While the Karachi Chamber of Commerce was pressing for the connection with Rajputana-Malwa system, Sir Bradford Leslie, once the Agent of the East Indian Railway, and some others came forward with the proposal of a broad gauge line from Kotri (lower Sindh) to Delhi (India) through Sindh, Gujrat and Rajhastan.