JI APC asks govt to withdraw privatisation decisions

LAHORE

An anti-privatization APC organized by the Jamaat-i-Islami, Lahore chapter, Sunday called upon the government to withdraw its decision for privatization of major national institutions and convene a meeting of the Council for Common Interest to decide a line of action on this score with the consent of the major political parties. 

The APC chaired by JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch was also addressed by Opposition Leader Mian Mehmudur Rashid, PPP’s Zahid Zukfikar, Alama Zubair Ahmed Zaheer, JUI’s Maulana Shabbir Nizami, PIA Peoples Unity President Kashif Rana, PIACE President Javed Chaudhry, Hafiz Salman Butt, PREM Union’s Sheikh Anwar, Wapda Paigham Union’s Ehsan Chaudhry and former vice president, Lahore Bar Association, Ziauld Din Ansari. They announced all-out support to the PIA employees in their fight against sell-out of the institution. 

A joint declaration adopted at the moot attended by major political parties and labour leaders maintained that the PIA and other major national institutions were property of the masses and could not be sold out at the sweet will of the rulers. 

The moot demanded that those responsible for the killing of three PIA employees be handed down exemplary punishment and the application of the Essential Services Act on the PIA be waved forthwith. It also demanded release of the arrested workers leaders. Baloch on the occasion pointed out that the present rulers had already sold out several national institutions on throw-away prices and were now planning privatization of a more than 60 others. He said the government was claiming that the privatization was being done for betterment of these institutions while it was being done under IMF pressure. 

He said the issue had been grossly mishandled and already three PIA employees had been martyred while more than 70 others had been injured. He deplored that the prime minister, instead of feeling sorry for the killings, had issued a provocative speech threatening the striking workers to be put behind the bars. 

PTI leader Mehmudur Rashid said the government was claiming that the PIA was in losses due to over-employment. He said if there was corruption in the PIA, the government was to be blamed for that. He said the proposal of another airline was also imprudent and reflected the dishonest approach of rulers. 

JI Lahore chief Zikrullah Mujahid said the entire process of privatization so far lacked transparency and the present PIA’s problems included long mismanagement and huge plunder for which nobody was ready to accept responsibility. Secretary general, National Labour Federation, Hafiz Salman Butt said the PREM Union members would observe Black Day against privatization all over the country on February 10.

Siraj praises PIA staff: Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq has welcomed partial resumption of PIA flights and said ITS employees had shown large heartedness, thus defeating ego and intransigence of rulers.

Talking to different delegations at Mansoora Sunday, he said the PIA employees had proved that they could make every sacrifice for the country and the nation. He said the PIA flights had been suspended for about two weeks, causing huge financial loss to the airline and the nation but the stiff-necked rulers remained unmoved. He said had the employees also stuck to their stance, the country would have become a laughing stock all over the world. 

Siraj said the rulers had shown little interest in rehabilitation of the national airlines and were going to sell the PIA, Pakistan Steel and other major national institutions under the IMF pressure to obtain more loans. He said there was no bravery in using the state power against the workers. In fact, he said the country was facing worst form of dictatorship under the guise of democracy. 

He said the rulers were planning to sell the family silver before their tenure expired. However, he said the nation would not allow the rulers to go ahead with their plan. He said the government could not blame the workers for incompetence and would have to account for the destruction of the national institutions. 

The JI chief said the rulers’ tall claims of good governance had proved hollow and the government had no plan to overcome poverty, hunger or illiteracy. He said a few ceremonial projects could not help feed the hungry. He said if the rulers only brought back their heaps of wealth lying in foreign countries, the country’s dependence of IMF and World Bank could end. 

Besides, he said, by abolishing the protocol of the VIPs and the unnecessary non-development expenditure, the government could create jobs for thousands of the youth. The JI chief deplored that death was cheap in our country while education was expensive due to which there was lawlessness, frustration and crimes. He said the drive against corruption was only a farce as only small guys were being caught while the big fish was being protected.