Shibli asks opposition to refrain from endangering people’s lives

PM’s aide Hussain says PR, PSM, PIA being restructured to curb financial losses

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Friday asked the opposition to read writings on the wall and refrain from putting the lives of the people at stake by insisting on holding public meetings amid the Covid-19 situation in the country.

During a joint news conference, Shibli, along with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, asked the opposition to show maturity and abide by the orders of the Islamabad High Court about the pandemic.

The leaders and the organisers of the opposition rallies would be held responsible for any loss of human life due to Covid-19, he added.

Both the people and the media had responsibilities to challenge the opposition's unlawful activities at odd times and run awareness campaign against it, the minister said in a talk show programme of a private news channel.

He said that the opposition parties wanted to pressurise the government through creating political anarchy and confusion in the country by taking the law into their hands.

The opposition parties were sending wrong message to the masses through violation of the law, he expressed.

Further, Hussain said that Pakistan Railways (PR), Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were being restructured to curb financial losses.

He said the cabinet had approved the restructuring plan of the PR while the PSM employees would be given a handsome severance package worth billions of rupees besides restructuring the institution.

He said five companies would be set up to make the railways a self-sufficient and profitable department. One company would be set up for the new Main Line - One while other companies would deal with freight and passenger services.

He said the PIA was suffering losses of Rs450 billion and had huge debt.

Under a financial restructuring plan, the national flag carrier employees would be reduced from 14,000 to 7000, he said adding 3,500 of its employees would be offered a voluntary severance package while 3,500 would be reduced by outsourcing core business of the PIA.

Per plane employee would be reduced from 500 to 250 and flights would be made operational for profitable routes, he told. (With input from app)