ISLAMABAD - The Opposition Pakistan People's Party yesterday warned of thwarting any bid by ruling PML-N to privatise Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), calling the privatisation plan a ‘clear case of conflict of interest’.
Speaking on an adjournment motion on disconnection of gas to PSM by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Opposition Leader in Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the privatisation of mills was a clear case of conflict of interest as the Sharif family was engaged in steel business. "It will become a pain in the neck for the government and it should act quite carefully," he suggested.
Aitzaz said the whole country knew who was into iron-steel business, and the proposed privatisation of the PSM is a willful attempt to sell it to those who had no other business except building roads, flyovers, metros and roads, etc. "No country anywhere in the world can even think of selling such national assets like PSM which are considered to be commanding heights of the country's economy," he said.
Referring to an interview by former president Pervez Musharraf, in which he accused PM Nawaz Sharif of selling out the commanding heights captured by the armed forces during the Kargil war with India in 1999, Aitzaz said the nation would not compromise on sale of this commanding height of country's economy.
Salim Mandviwala of PPP claimed that backdoor efforts are underway to sell this national asset and some people who have been identified have fixed their eyes on the PSM.
Senator Azam Khan Swati of PTI asked for a bailout package for PSM to revive the sick unit instead of selling it.
Mohsin Aziz of PTI said that the proposed privatisation was pre-planned and closure of gas to the national entity by Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) is a conspiracy in this regard.
However, State Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal Khan replying the apprehensions of the lawmakers said: "No government wanted to take extreme step of willfully destroying a national asset." He said that the government was considering privatisation of PSM after all attempts, including bailout packages to revive this sick unit failed.
"There is an outstanding payment of Rs35 billion of PSM against SSGC while it has to owe Rs60 billion to K Electric as well," he said, adding that with such conditions, the government had no option besides privatising it. The fiscal imbalance is the main reason, which has badly affected the performance of the mills, he said.
Following a terrorist attack on Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Badaber camp, former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik cautioned the Upper House that the troika of militant organizations, including Daish (IS), Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeT) were posing a serious threat. He said that the troika had become active once again and was targeting sensitive security installations.
He said that PM should convene an all parties conference after Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Badaber camp in Peshawar. "PM should summon APC to break this nexus of troika and should take all political parties into confidence to root out terrorism," he said. He also demanded an in-camera briefing to the house about the ongoing military operation.
The Upper House of Parliament condemned the attack on PAF base in Peshawar in the strongest possible terms. The house unanimously declared that the whole nation stands by the armed forces of Pakistan, adding the cowardly attacks by terrorists can not deter the nation's resolve.
Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said that the militants couldn't bring down the resolve of the nation against the menace of terrorism. Senator Ilyas Balour stressed to improve relations with Afghanistan to get better security situation the country.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said that there could be some security breach, as the militants still managed to hit sensitive installations despite success of operation Zarb-e-Azb. He said that India was actively involved in proxy war inside Pakistan and there was a need to counter the nefarious motives of the enemy. He asked for a probe into the incident.