IHC summons Railways, Interior Ministry top officials in Tezgam train fire case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered the Interior Secretary, Secretary Railways and others to appear in person before the court in the next hearing of the Tezgam Express fire incident, ARY News reported.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani was hearing a petition filed by Riaz Hanif Rahi, the president of Jurist Foundation, seeking an independent inquiry into Tezgam train fire incident.

The high court had summoned inquiry report over the train fire incident from the federal government.

The lawyer of the railways ministry told the court that the inquiry of the incident has been completed and being further reviewed.

The court sought final report of the incident. The report has been submitted in the Senate, railways representative said. “Don’t tell the story of the Senate and National Assembly inform the court about your performance,” the bench retorted. “What you deem the court, post office,” Justice Kayani said.

“No one knew the matter while several lives lost in the incident,” the court blasted officials of the railways and interior ministries.

The bench adjourned further hearing of the case till February 24.

Tezgam train inferno

On October 31, 73 people had lost their lives and 40 others injured when fire had engulfed three bogies of Tezgam Express due to an alleged cylinder explosion at Liaquatpur in Rahim Yar Khan district.

The train was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi when the unfortunate incident took place.

Pakistan Railways said that the fire was caused by the explosion in a gas cylinder. After the blast, the raging fire had engulfed two other coaches as well.