ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday expressed its annoyance over no policy for regularisation of Railways employees.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed conducted hearing of the appeals of Railways employees Muhammad Ajmal and others for regularisation of their services. Justice Gulzar noted that Railways does not have recruitment policy and there is no check on its administration. There is no system to hire people in the Railways and people are working in Railways for the last 10 years.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked from the counsel that why the Railways officials do not examine the qualification and merit at the time of recruitment.

The management hires people and later on say that there is no policy for them. If the appointments are made on merit then such situation would never emerge, the bench noted.

The top court had reserved the judgment in another case regarding regularization of Railways employees. The counsel of the employees informed that the workers in Railways were regularized under the policies of 1985, 2008 and 2012.

According to the Secretary Railways, there are total 76,000 employees, 142 passenger trains and 120 goods trains are operational. He said that reforms are being introduced on six points. The new policy is under process. He said that the workers who have approached the apex court have been associated with the project and not direct employees of the Railways.

The Chief Justice said that its employees apparently are not fit to operate the trains. There is need for the government to take serious steps and overhaul the Secretariat from top to bottom in order to ensure that Railways operate in Pakistan safely, he said.

He expected that such measures would be taken by the federal government immediately to ensure that the Railways do not play havoc with the lives and properties.

After hearing the arguments, the bench dismissed the appeals.