Trade Unions, NGOs and Political parties like the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Seraiki Inqilabi Council (SIC), Pakistan Seraiki Party (PSP) and Tehrik-i-Insaf rose on Friday against the proposal to privatise 17 public sector entities urged the elected representatives to oppose the move of selling the valuable assets.
Separately in their statements, Ashfaq Ahmed of Trade Union Federation, PML-N MNA, Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Muzaffar Khan Magassi of SIC, Barrister Taj Muhammad Khan Langah of PSP and Muhammad Salim Bukhari of Tehrik-i-Insaf criticised the government for planning to privatise 17 entities.
The rising started as a list of 17 public sector entities were tabled before the National Assembly as per the government's plan to privatise them in the current fiscal year. These entities included the initial public offering (IPO) of the Pakistan Steel Mills.
The political representatives said that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Government headed by Asif Ali Zardari was violating the mission and policies of Quaid-i-Awam, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by selling out the profit oriented units like Qadarpur Gas field, Pakistan Steel Mills, Heavy Electrical Complex, National Power Construction Company, Jamshoro Power Company Limited and Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation.
Other public units to be privatised are the Qadirpur Gas Field, Larkana Coal Mining Project, Hazara Phosphate Fertiliser Limited, Khewra Salt Mines, Small and Medium Enterprises Bank, Kot Addu Power Company, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, Printing Corporation of Pakistan Press, Pakistan Machine Tools Factory, Morafco Industries Limited, Sindh Engineering Company Limited and the Services International Hotel.
'The Government should abolish the privatisation commission and the ministry of privatisation forthwith to save the country from financial devastation,' they said. Further, they said that Syed Naveed Qamar joined the rallies and demonstration of Qadarpur gas field workers when the PPP was in opposition and he categorically opposed the move taken by the former President, Pervez Musharraf however, 'Now he is defying his own commitment,' they regretted.