Senator Raza Rabbani is perhaps among the few associated with PPP who continues to enjoy some credibility. His recent outburst opposing the proposed privatization of loss making state enterprises such as the Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) and PIA would have made sense and would have been better if he had stood up and prevented their plunder at the hands of dubious men appointed to head these corporations during the PPP tenure. PSM and PIA are in their present state, not because of economic recession, or market forces, but as a result of rape and abuse by political appointees of his party during their five year misrule.
Why was he silent when Chairman PSM appointed by PPP, allowed people to plunder this state enterprise, putting at jeopardy thousands of jobs. Where was Senator Rabbani, when cronies of the ex-President men with very controversial backgrounds, with some of them having a history of financial irregularities, openly indulged in loot and systematic destruction of its routes, signing procurement contracts with a firm of ill-repute in Dubai, hiring in violation of merit surplus employees, including those with fake degrees, promoting incompetence to senior executive positions, resulting in escalation of losses to over Rs200 Billion, crippling into insolvency.
It was under tenure of PPP that jobs were sold to highest bidders, simultaneously permanent regular employees were terminated just because of whims of MD. This was an airline whose fleet was deliberately reduced by criminals placed at the helm, whose sole objective was to milk this cow, till it fell down. I would like to tell the respected senator that one cannot run with hares and hunt with the hounds! In any case there is nothing to worry about, because PML-N has appointed management following politics of reconciliation and have also started rehabilitating people were removed. Honest hardworking employees of PSM and PIA have nothing to worry in case management is handed to an independent management acquiring 26% shares. Only crooks, most of them holding foreign nationalities will no longer be able to enjoy license to rob at will.
RAHAT SIDDIQI,
Karachi, January 19.