NA body reviews PR, NHA issues

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Feb, 2026) The National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Thursday discussed matters relating to Pakistan Railways (PR) and the National Highway Authority (NHA), focusing on pension liabilities and traffic congestion issues.

The meeting was chaired by Rana Iradat Sharif Khan. The Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs, briefed the committee on complaints received by the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit regarding pension payments to Pakistan Railways’ retirees.

A Member of Finance informed the committee that Pakistan Railways has undertaken active liability management to address longstanding employee obligations.

The department disbursed Rs5.622 billion towards commutation payments, cleared up to May 31, 2023, and Rs1.103 billion towards leave encashment, cleared up to March 31, 2024.

Despite these efforts, officials said the organisation continues to face a significant sustainability gap. While Pakistan Railways currently has an operational surplus of Rs2.4 billion, its immediate obligations stand at Rs27.4 billion, indicating a structural funding shortfall.

The committee was told that strategic support and long-term financial restructuring would be required to ensure sustainable operations.

Separately, a representative of the NHA briefed the committee on traffic congestion at the motorway toll plaza near Phoolnagar in District Kasur.

The committee was informed that, following approval by the NHA Executive board for revenue enhancement, a new toll plaza was established at Phoolnagar (KM 1215–1216) in March 2025. Initially, a temporary structure with three lanes on each side was set up on the existing road. Due to the limited number of lanes, traffic congestion occurred frequently.

Officials also noted that commuters were initially slow in adapting to the new toll collection regime, resulting in long queues at toll booths.

The committee was informed that construction of a new 12-lane toll plaza, with six lanes on each side, is 90 per cent complete.

The committee recommended that any instances of traffic congestion be promptly addressed to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement and greater convenience for the public.