Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Thursday slated sale of Pakistan Steel Mills at throwaway price of Rs 21.6 billion and demanded of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, Naheed Khan, MNA, said the government is busy in looting and plundering national wealth and selling profitable assets at throwaway prices.
"It is surprising that the regime has sold 4,500 acres of land, steel manufacturing plant, 165 MW power plant, 110-km metalled road, 70-km-long railway track, a water treatment plant, and an inventory priced at Rs 27 billion, including raw material", she said.
Selling such a huge and profitable asset for only Rs 21.6 billion is a criminal act on the part of the anti-labour and anti-people government, she alleged.
The sell-off of this plant, which gives a profit of 10 billion rupees annually for only 21 billion rupees is a monstrous crime against the people of Pakistan and the nation, said Naheed Khan.
There is massive evidence of wrongdoing in the sale of Pakistan Steel Mill as the Privatisation Commission did not set any reference price of the Mill, she questioned. In addition to this, no report on the valuation of assets was filed by any financial consultant that could have enabled to set a reference price.
The wrongdoing is also reflected by the fact that no evaluation of the bid was conducted by the Privatisation Commission on privatising Pakistan Steel Mills, she alleged.
It is also ironic that the Privatisation Commission within six hours approved the bid, which is unprecedented in the history of privatisation in Pakistan.
Naheed also demanded a judicial inquiry into the privatisation of Pakistan Steel and reiterated PPP's resolve to protect the rights of its labour, including 12,500 workforce.