Centre’s decision on PSM handover awaited, says Nasir Shah

KARACHI – Provincial Minister for Information and Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that steel mill was a national asset and Sindh government would not let it to be ruined adding that people sitting in Federal government wanted to handover steel mill to its close aides. This he said while addressing press conference along with the steel mill trade union leaders at Karachi Press Club on Saturday. The provincial minister said that the Sindh government was standing with the workers from day one and would continue to fight for protection of their rights. He said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had directed Sindh government to protect the rights of steel mill workers at all costs, following which Sindh Chief Minister has written letter to the Federal government on the steel mill issue and raised the issue in the Council of Common Interests, but no positive response had been received from the Federal government yet.

He said that Sindh Chief Minister had also constituted a sub-committee of Sindh Cabinet on the issue of Steel Mill comprising Labor Minister Saeed Ghani, Industries Minister Jam Ikram ullah Dharijo, Law Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Special Assistant Waqar Mehdi. The committee had held three meetings with steel mill workers trade union leaders to devise comprehensive strategy to resist Federal government’s move. Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that Sindh government wanted to take control of the mill and run it with partnership of steel mill workers on the line of Thar coal project which was being run successfully under public private Partnership.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah dispelled the impression that the mill was ruined during the PPP era and added that the steel mill was operational during the PPP era, but it was closed in 2015 when Federal government, then cut off gas connection of the mill. He said that no new appointments were made during PPP era, only temporary employees services were made permanent. He further said that President Asif Ali Zardari had signed a MoU with Russia to revive and expand the steel mill but it could not be implemented as the PPP government term ended and successive government had shown no interest in materialising the MoU on steel mill as they were interested in giving it to their blue eyed person. The provincial minister for information said that a few days ago, Sindh chief minister had discussed revival of steel mill with a Russian delegation who met him at chief minister house. The minister added, “if Federal government wanted to run the steel mills, we are ready to fully support them on condition that the workers’ rights be protected.”

Provincial Minister for Information and Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the land of the steel mill was owned by the Sindh government, the steel mill was a national asset, which had played an important role in the country’s economy for many years.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that assets worth billions of rupees were being stolen from the steel mill, how can this be possible in such a tight security? When workers protest against oppression, the security resort to violence against workers, but failed to stop the theft.

He said that he had asked IG Sindh to depute a competent police officer to investigate the matter and register FIR against those involved. IG Sindh had also been directed to set up a police picket to protect the assets of steel mills.

Shamshad Qureshi of People’s Unity and trade union leader Karamat Ali said that the PTI government and its policies had brought great miseries for the workers. The PTI had promised to revive the steel mill with professional management, but since after coming to power, it has forcibly fired more than 9,000 workers. There is no clear policy of the Federal government as to what they are going to do with the steel mill, whether they are going to privatise it or lease it. They said that the steel mill was being looted and valuable assets of the steel mill were being taken away. They added that Imran Khan had appointed his friend as chairman of steel mill who had no interest in reviving it. They pointed out that that people were eying at the land of mill which was worth Rs1,000 billion, while workers had been forced to beg.