Pakistan Railways Police have arrested a Shalimar Express driver, his assistant and two passengers over an allegedly unauthorised locomotive journey filmed in a video that circulated online.
Pakistan Railways confirmed that it had registered a case against all four over alleged breaches of railway regulations and endangering passengers’ lives.
Its investigation contradicted an earlier official account. On November 10, the department dismissed the footage as fake and said it was an attempt to attract social media views. Investigators subsequently established that the passengers had travelled inside the engine.
Railway employees arrested in the case were identified as driver Imtiaz and assistant driver Saqlain Haider. Police identified the other suspects as Ali Ahmed, also known as Hania, and Muhammad Ali, also known as Ali Jan.
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According to the first information report (FIR), the incident occurred overnight between November 4 and 5. Shalimar Express was travelling from Sahiwal towards Lahore at the time.
Hania and Ali Jan allegedly rode inside locomotive No. 9016 on the section between Sahiwal and Raiwind. The FIR places Hania in the assistant driver’s seat and identifies Ali Jan as the person who recorded the journey.
After the footage appeared on social media, its circulation prompted Pakistan Railways to investigate. Railway police sources said officers registered the case after investigators completed their review.
Those sources described the allegations as violations of railway policies, endangerment of passengers and conduct that brought the department into disrepute.
