KARACHI: Pakistan Railways Police have arrested a train driver, his assistant and two transgender persons after an investigation confirmed that the latter had travelled inside the locomotive of the Shalimar Express, an incident that went viral on social media.
A case has been registered against all four suspects for breaching railway rules, putting passengers’ safety at risk and damaging the department’s reputation, according to Pakistan Railways.
The arrested railway employees were identified as driver Imtiaz and assistant driver Saqlain Haider. The other two suspects were identified as Ali Ahmed, alias Hania, and Muhammad Ali, alias Ali Jan.
According to the first information report (FIR), the incident occurred during the night of November 4 and 5, when the Shalimar Express was travelling from Sahiwal to Lahore.
The two transgender persons allegedly boarded locomotive No. 9016 at Sahiwal and remained inside the engine until Raiwind. The FIR states that Hania occupied the assistant driver’s seat, while Ali Jan filmed the journey.
The footage was later shared on social media, where it attracted widespread attention and prompted railway authorities to launch an inquiry.
Railway Police sources said the arrests were made after investigators established the circumstances surrounding the unauthorised journey.
Notably, Pakistan Railways had initially dismissed the footage as fake on November 10, describing it as an attempt to attract views on social media.
However, findings of the subsequent investigation confirmed that the two individuals had indeed travelled inside the locomotive, contradicting the department’s earlier position.
The four suspects have been taken into custody, while legal proceedings are underway.
