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Sindh govt asks IGP to probe alleged theft of PSM assets

By Our Correspondent
April 08, 2021

The Sindh government has directed the inspector general of police to depute a competent police official to probe into allegations that precious assets of Pakistan Steel Mills having the value of billions of rupees have been pilfered.

The direction to this effect was given by Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Wednesday as he met representatives of different organisations representing the labourers of the PSM. The issue of alleged stealing of precious assets of Pakistan Steel was raised by labour leaders.

The minister telephoned the IGP and directed him to depute a competent official to investigate the matter. He said the alleged theft of the precious assets of the PSM was a serious issue, and an independent probe would be conducted and an FIR lodged against whosoever found involved in the theft.

Shah asked the Sindh police chief to establish a police picket to safeguard the precious assets of the PSM. He also announced that the government would submit an application to become a party in the case being heard by the Supreme Court pertaining to the PSM. He said such an act of the government would strengthen the legal case against the privatisation of the PSM.

He informed the labour leaders that Minister for Industries Jam Ikramullah Dharejo had also become a member of the subsidiary committee of the Sindh cabinet to tackle the issue of privatisation of the Steel Mills.

He said the government would soon write a comprehensive letter to the Centre against the proposed privatisation of the PSM and retrenchment of its workers.

Shah said the chief minister would also raise the issue of the PSM’s privatisation in a meeting of the Council of Common Interests. He mentioned that the CM had lately sought assistance from Russia for the revival of the PSM.

The labour leaders associated with the PSM complained that a 100-bedded hospital of the Steel Mills had been shut while its educational institutions would also meet the same fate.

Trade union leader Karamat Ali said the desired steps should be taken expeditiously against the privatisation of the PSM in view of the fast pace of work by the federal government in this regard.

He suspected that the federal government could exercise its power of promulgating the ordinances to sell off the PSM, as lately it had shown undue haste in a similar manner in the affairs related to the Higher Education Commission and the State Bank of Pakistan.