ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday asked Pakistan Railways to strengthen regular patrolling on sensitive routes and install three jammers in each train to protect passengers from terrorist attacks on trains.

The National Assembly Standing Committee’s decision came following a briefing given by Pakistan Rail­ways’ officials to the committee about the October 7 attack on the Jaffer Express.

The officials said that Jaffer Exp­ress was targeted with an improvised explosives device on October 7 near Sultan Kot Railways Station in Sindh.

The blast derailed five bogies and damaged the track. Seven passengers, including Pakistan Railw­ays employees, suffered injuries.

The standing committee, chaired by Ramesh Lal in the absence of the chairman, heard updates on the Jaffer Express train blast, encroachments of railways lands and Kara­chi-Pipri freight corridor project.

Briefing the committee on the freight corridor project, the secretary of Pakistan Railways said the project would start from Keamari, linking Karachi Port to Pipri. On this route, he said, two new railway lines will be laid to connect it with Motorway M-9.

The committee also discussed various aspects of the project. The panel was informed that the terminal will initially operate on a small scale, and the first pha­­se is expected to be co­­m­­pleted within six months.

The committee was further informed that 17 freight trains will operate on a daily basis and the project will cost $400 million.

Divisional Superinten­d­ent of Pakistan Railways in Sukkur brie­fed the commit­tee about encroachments on PR land in Sukkur.

He said that 16,458 acres of land were under operational use, 3,253.233 acres under encroachment, and 457 acres occupied by land grabbers.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2025