Baloch warns against privatisation of national institutions

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Naib Ameer Liaqat Baloch has warned that privatisation of national institutions is against the national interests but governments sell off the public institutions for their own interests and kickbacks.

Addressing Prem Union Workers Convention on Thursday, he said the public service institutions like Railways, Wapda, PIA, Pakistan Steel, OGDCL were the national assets and such assets could not be given under private control which would not only jeopardise the standards of services to the people but also deprive thousands of people of jobs and cause loss to the state profits. He said commercial institutions should be run on a commercial basis under competent professionals.

Confidence should be given to the workers, engineers, veterans and craftsmen of the national institutions. Boards should be formed comprising government representatives, commercial experts and representatives of national institutions. The Ministry of Pakistan Railways is useless and burdensome on the national exchequer, the JI leader said.

He said the railway headquarters should be given task of making the railways profitable. The government political interference should be stopped. He said JI opposed privatisation of national institutions and economic murder of workers.

Meanwhile, Liaqat Baloch spoke to Afghan Taliban leader Iqbal Afghani in Kabul on a voice app who said there are major challenges and difficulties in governance and the state system, but Taliban leadership and Afghan people would control them. The Taliban leadership will bring happiness to the entire Ummah. The Taliban's priority is to make Afghanistan a peaceful, stable and ideal Islamic welfare state. Afghanistan and Pakistan are one and the same and inseparable. The Afghan leader also invited Liaqat Baloch to visit Kabul.

Talking to students’ delegations from Sindh and Balochistan, Liaqat Baloch said the politics of Balochistan was divided under a well thought-out plan. The PPP has been in power in Sindh since the 70s. The JI leader said Sindh was facing water scarcity, destruction of education and health system, poor roads, filth in streets and youth unemployment. The federal and provincial governments have jointly targeted the people of Sindh. He said that employment should be provided to the youth of Sindh in Thar Coal Gas National Fields.