KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday pledged to safeguard the national assets and warned Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government to desist from privatizing Pakistan Steel, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other state units.
The PPP Chairman was speaking to a delegation of Pakistan Steel’s Peoples Workers Union (PWC) led by union chairman Shamshad Qureshi, who briefed him on the worsening condition of the nation’s largest industrial unit under the PML-N government and its attempts to sell out it at throwaway prices to its own hidden henchmen.
Bilawal said that PPP will not allow the rulers to sell or lease out Pakistan Steel, and will severely oppose any attempts within and outside the parliament. He said that PML-N was selling national assets while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears to be supporting the move.
He assured that PPP will not leave Pakistan Steel employees in lurk, and demanded that gas connection to the PSM should be restored and production started without any further delay.
He asked the government to immediately pay salaries and other dues to the the employees who have not been paid since last five months, and the outstanding dues of retired employees and pensions have also been stopped.
The delegation pointed out that foundation of the biggest industrial
unit of Pakistan was laid by former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on December 30, 1973. However, anti-labour elements had been painting as a ‘White Elephant’ and burden on economy despite the fact that it not only recovered the investment but paid back Rs100 billion as taxes to the government.The delegation further briefed that for Pakistan Steel was production up to 90pct capacity for two consecutive years but conspiracies against the unit started after PML-N came into power and pretexts were created to sell out it for peanuts.
The Pakistan Steel Mills was sold out for a meager amount of Rs21.68 billion in 2006. The Peoples Workers Union challenged the privatization first in the Sindh High Court then in the Supreme Court decision was declared as null and void.
The PWU leaders pointed that PML-N government started fresh conspiracies after coming into power in 2013 and disconnected gas connection on June 10, 2015 when production was 65pct and the unit was shut down since last 32 months.
Employees have not been paid salaries since five months while retired employees and the families of deceased employees have not been paid their outstanding dues since 2013. Health, transport facilities and allowances have also been stopped, and the organisation has no full-fledged CEO or General Manager.
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