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Friday March 29, 2024

56 companies case: Body to decide fate of public sector companies, court told

By Our Correspondent
December 08, 2018

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday told the Lahore High Court that the chief minister had constituted a committee to decide the fate of public sector companies working in the province.

During hearing of a petition challenging the establishment of around 56 public sector companies, an additional advocate general informed the court that the committee formed by the chief minister would decide future of these companies on the basis of their past performance. The law officer stated that the government would close down companies having poor performance. Justice Shahid Karim directed the law officer to submit a report on the decision of the committee by January 17.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka had filed the petition during the stint of the PML-N government in the province on behalf of then opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, now provincial minister for housing and urban development.

The lawyer questioned legitimacy of the companies and involvement of legislators in their affairs. He contended that according to Public Sector Companies Rules 2013, the legislators could not exercise their powers as chairman of public sector companies. He said the companies had been interfering in effective functioning of local government affairs.

Justice Karim again directed the provincial minister to raise the issue before the cabinet as well and allowed the counsel to withdraw the petition since the petitioner had become a cabinet member.

However in other connected petitions, the judge issued notice to Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and directed the government that no political appointment shall be made in the public sector companies.