Four arrested after transgender persons found travelling illegally in train engine

KARACHI: Four people, including a train driver, an assistant driver and two transgender individuals, have been arrested by Pakistan Railways Police after an investigation confirmed that the pair had travelled inside the engine of the Shalimar Express.

The arrests followed the circulation of a video on social media showing the two individuals travelling in the locomotive. Pakistan Railways said a case had been registered against all four for breaching railway rules and putting passengers' safety at risk.

The arrested employees were identified as driver Imtiaz and assistant driver Saqlain Haider. The other two suspects were identified as Ali Ahmed, known as Hania, and Muhammad Ali, also known as Ali Jan.

The FIR stated that the incident occurred on the night of November 4 and 5, when the Shalimar Express was travelling from Sahiwal to Lahore.

It said Hania and Ali Jan boarded locomotive No. 9016 at Sahiwal and remained inside until the train reached Raiwind. During the journey, Hania allegedly occupied the assistant driver's seat, while Ali Jan filmed the incident.

The footage later surfaced on social media, attracting attention and prompting Pakistan Railways to launch an inquiry.

Railway Police sources said the FIR was lodged after investigators completed their examination of the incident. The suspects face charges related to violating railway regulations, compromising passenger safety and damaging the department's reputation.

On November 10, Pakistan Railways had initially dismissed the footage as fake, suggesting it had been circulated to attract views on social media.

However, findings from the subsequent inquiry confirmed that the two transgender individuals had indeed travelled inside the locomotive, contradicting the department's earlier statement.

The four individuals were taken into custody following the investigation.