Railways authorities regret ghastly act

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Railways authorities have regretted the ghastly act of molesting a woman passenger who was travelling aboard the private sector Multan-Karachi Zakaraia Express whose contractor has been issued showcause notice. 

The CEO of the Pakistan Railways, Farrukh Taimur Ghilzai has reiterated that safety and security relating to travelling railway passengers would not be compromised at all as directives have been issued to contractors of private sector operating various trains to check recurrence of such disgraceful acts. It has also been decided that the credentials of all the private sector trains will be verified through concerned agencies. 

According to details, the molested woman had not reported the matter at Police Helpline Desk upon arrival at Karachi Cantonment Railway station. It was only after persuasion by DCO Karachi who, along with ladies police, visited the house of victim woman a day after the incident was reported in newspapers, on the directive of Divisional Superintendent, Kashif Rasheed Yusfani, the woman lodged a complaint to railway police. 

The DCO and ladies police had convinced the victim woman to report the matter after which railway police started raids and arrested the three nominated accused from Sumandari, Jahanian and Shorkot. 

A railway spokesman revealed that the victim woman, a resident of Orangi Town, was travelling in Multan-Karachi Zakaria Express, when one Zahid, ticket checker, offered her to travel in AC Compartment where train manager Aqib was already present. Both of them were accused of having molested the woman. 

When the train reached Karachi City Station, no one from woman’s family came to receive her as she kept waiting while sitting on a bench at the platform. A police constable on duty tried to inquire from her about her problem but she did not divulge anything. 

After sometime the railway lady police took her to police station help center and informed her sister Hina who later came to station alongwith husband and took her home. On this occasion the victim woman neither reported the incident not requested for any legal action. It was only after the incident appeared in the press, the DS Railways contacted her and requested to report the incident which she reported and got her statement

NLA ponders over street libraries chains

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) has started pondering on establishing a chain of street libraries throughout the country and it has already shortlisted the sites which could be turned into places of learning. 

 

“We recognize the initiatives of a few individuals and organizations in relation of development street libraries in some parts of the country but we consider it just a drop in the ocean. We don’t need just one two or three street libraries but we require it in hundreds and thousands across the country to cater to the needs of the big population,” Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, remarked after presiding over a couple of meetings in this regard in as many days. 

 The first meeting was held at the historic D J Science College in Karachi where the waiting area in the newly constructed site on Burns Road has been proposed by the NLA by for the development of a street library in the densely populated locality. 

It was followed by another midnight meeting hosted by the Syed Sultan Ali, Member, Executive Committee, NLA, who volunteered to look into the possibilities of establishing a street library in the lawn of his corner bungalow, located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. 

Besides the NLA President, Muzaffar Ali Shah, the meeting was also attended by its Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, who appreciated the spirit of fellow member Sultan Ali, who has actively participated in the other events as well.

The high energy of the NLA top functionaries augurs well for the community of librarians in the country which didn't have the kind of leaders needed to motivate and drive them.