As the government is bound to sell 26 per cent shares of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) under IMF programme, Pakistan Peoples' Party has decided to bring all opposition parties on board to stop the government's move. Business Recorder learnt that PPP would launch countrywide protest against the planned privatisation of national entity in the next few days.
"We are planning to contact all political stakeholders to form a joint strategy against the privatisation of national assets," source said. Chairman Senate's Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue Saleem Mandwiwala said in a statement that Supreme Court of Pakistan has already questioned the appointment of Shujaat Azeem as special assistant to Prime Minister and has ordered his removal.
Mandviwalla warned that his party, along with other opposition parties, will hold protests at all the airports of the country if PIA is privatised through an ordinance. He said: "Nawaz government has already struck a deal with the foreign airlines for the sale of PIA.
"Their motive behind the ordinance is to sell PIA to the Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi; this deal has been brokered by Mr Chaudhri Muneer, a relative of PM Nawaz Sharif and Mr Shujaat Azeem, Special Assistant to Prime Minister," he said. Senator Mandviwalla said: "Nawaz government always sold national assets through unconstitutional ways like PTCL was sold in the past."
He demanded that Judicial Commission should be set up to probe the affairs of PIA and a financial audit of the last 10 years should be done, responsible people should be brought to light before the privatisation of PIA. Claiming that the government wanted to dole out lucrative jobs to their cronies and party workers, he deplored that no legislation was made for the rights of labourers. "Any law which doesn't have the representative of labourers is unacceptable, all labour unions should unite on a single platform to resist government intention to privatise PIA," he added.
Comments
Comments are closed.