LAHORE - Pakistan Railways (PR) higher authorities have decided to hire Chinese engineers for repairing and rectifying the defective locomotives principally purchased from China itself, The Nation learnt on Tuesday. The Pakistan Railways will purchase 75 more locomotives from the Chinese Company 'Donyaar and in this regard a pact between the authorities concerned of both countries has been signed. It was also learnt that the authorities concerned in view of the manufacturing and mechanical aspects found the engineers of Pakistan Railways unable in repairing these locomotives. The authorities say that repairing of these locomotives was responsibility of the Chinese Company according to the agreement. However, the Railways authorities seemed reluctant to hand over such locomotives to the local engineers and preferring to hire Chinese engineers for check up of such locomotives. Perhaps, the authorities are not relying on the skills of the Pakistan Railways engineers and were of the view that they are not fit for the job to repair China locomotives, said sources in PR. The sources further disclosed that the authorities concerned had also decided to construct a warehouse in Rawalpindi or Karachi workshop in order to provide a separate workshop to the Chinese engineers. The construction of the warehouse is likely to be announced within a couple of weeks. While giving details about the contract signed between the PR and China engineering company, the sources further said that PR purchased 69 engines in 2005 out of which a number of locomotives got out of order allegedly due to negligence of the officials. But the officials were of the view that mechanically China locomotives were not in good condition and also were not fit for the Pakistani tracks. They also alleged that use of substandard material developed technical faults in some of the locomotives. On the other hand, they said that collectively as many as 150 locomotives besides the China engines were already standing beneath the roof of the engine shed, which is departments main workshop, and on some other places. But the engineering departments failed to repair such engines even after spending a year or so just because of certain reasons such as lack of funds and unavailability of other facilities and machinery as well, the sources said. When contacted Bezad Mehmood, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Pakistan Railways, he refused to reveal details of the defective locomotives saying that he was bound to keep internal affairs of the department 'secretes under the strict instructions issued by the higher authorities of Pakistan Railways and Ministry of Railways.