Islamabad: A requisitioned meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Railways was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of MNA Ramesh Lal, in the absence of the regular Chairman, in accordance with the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.

The Committee was briefed on the Jaffer Express incident, which occurred on October 7, 2025, near Sultan Kot Railway Station, Sindh, when the train was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast derailed five bogies and injured seven passengers, including railway employees. The Committee directed Pakistan Railways to ensure enhanced patrolling in sensitive areas and to install three jammers in every train to prevent such attacks in the future.

On the issue of encroachments in the Sukkur Division, the Divisional Superintendent informed the Committee that out of 16,458 acres under operational use, 3,253 acres were encroached upon, and 457 acres were occupied by land grabbers. The Committee directed the Railways to submit a comprehensive report on the leasing criteria and procedures for railway land across the country.

The Committee was also briefed on the Freight Corridor Project, linking Karachi Port to Pipri. The project will begin from Kamari, establishing two new railway lines connected with the M-9 Motorway, with 17 freight trains operating daily. The first phase, costing US $400 million, is expected to be completed within six months.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Ibrar Ahmad, Waseem Qadir, Haji Jamal Shah Kakar, Sadiq Ali Memon, and Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways.