Pakistan Railways Police Assigned Ticket-Checking Duty on Trains

The Pakistan Railways Police have been tasked with the responsibility of verifying passengers' tickets and enforcing action against those who travel without valid tickets. An official directive from the Inspector General's Office directs Special Teams to carry out these checks and collaborate with Special Branch members in the respective regions.

Four such teams have been established for monitoring the Peshawar-Rawalpindi, Lahore-Multan, Sukkur-Karachi Main Line, and Sukkur-Quetta routes. These teams are mandated to provide daily updates to the Central Police Office and share their real-time locations twice daily via WhatsApp for the review of higher authorities. It is emphasized that a lack of diligence in fulfilling this duty will not be tolerated.

All senior superintendents of police have been tasked with instructing station house officers and railway police post commanders to cooperate with the special teams and offer necessary support, including accommodation. This initiative has sparked discussions within the department, as there is uncertainty about whether railway police personnel possess the specific ticket-checking equipment or the required training to execute this task.

Moreover, there are apprehensions regarding the division of responsibilities within Pakistan Railways, as ticket issuance and checking are typically the domain of the commercial department, whereas railway police's primary duty is to safeguard railway infrastructure.