Pakistan recently imported “non-functional” railway bogies worth USD 149 million from China, leading to discontent among Pakistan Railways authorities and casting doubt over Chinese imports.
Pakistani authorities raised questions about the efficiency and competence of officers who inspected them in China, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The Shehbaz Sharif government needed to spend hundreds of thousands of rupees just to make the bogies operational, sources told the Pakistani newspaper. It said the maintenance work was being conducted at the Ski Line of Pakistan Railways.
“However, they pointed out that due to improper pressure pipes, there was a risk of accidents since the brakes would not work properly,” the report added.
The Railway administration started the installation of two to two-and-a-half inches of thick pipes in the bogies in a bid to resolve these problems. The Pakistan newspaper said these bogies were previously fitted with a 20-inch pipe.
Pakistan Chief Mechanical Engineer Mohammad Haseeb said that the bogies were being technically fitted. Nearly 90 officers who went on a visit to China received USD 100 per day under TADA, the report added.
This latest report comes amid a growing number of issues in the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Due to the rising exchange rate, and issues with the Pakistan power regulatory Authority, Chinese companies in Pakistan have opted for a “go-slow” policy, Business Recorder reported last month.
This development was shared by the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong during a meeting with the key Syed Tariq Fatemi, an aide of Pakistan’s Prime Minister.
During the meeting, Tariq Fatemi apprised the ambassador that Pakistani authorities have already taken security measures to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the Chinese nationals.