LAHORE: Pakistan Railways Police (PRP) has been assigned the task of checking passengers’ tickets and taking action against those travelling without valid tickets, according to an official order issued by the Office of the Inspector General, Pakistan Railways Police, Central Police Office (CPO), Lahore.
Under the order, special teams of the PRP CPO Lahore will conduct ticket checks and prevent ticketless travel in coordination with the Special Branch personnel of the respective divisions.
Four teams have been formed to carry out checks on four routes including Peshawar–Rawalpindi, Lahore–Multan, Sukkur–Karachi (Main Line) and Sukkur–Quetta.
The teams have been directed to submit daily reports to the CPO without fail. They will also be required to share their live locations twice a day through WhatsApp at the designated number for review by the competent authority.
The order warned that no negligence would be tolerated in carrying out the assigned task.
All Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) have been directed to instruct station house officers (SHOs) and railway police post in-charges in their respective divisions to coordinate with the special checking teams and facilitate them, including arrangements for accommodation.
The move has reportedly raised questions within the department, with concerns that railway police personnel do not have dedicated ticket-checking devices or specialised training for the task.
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The concerns also relate to the division of responsibilities within Pakistan Railways, as ticket issuance and checking traditionally fall under the commercial department, while railway police are primarily responsible for security and protection of railway property.
