Centre wants to usurp PSM land, claims Ghani

Thousands of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employees were dismissed so that the federal government could hand over 19,000 acres of PSM land to its 'ATMs', alleged Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at his office on the day alongside representatives of the terminated employees, he lambasted the Centre for sacking 4,544 mill workers during the pandemic, terming it a violation of the law when the Sindh government had passed legislation stating that no workers could be fired at this time.

"Several elements, including mafias, have their eye on the steel mills' land," claimed the provincial minister, arguing that the workers were sacked not because of financial deficits, but to usurp the land. But, he added, the Sindh government would not permit anyone to seize PSM assets or the land that belonged to the provincial government. "We had given this land to the PSM and we will take it back from the institution. And if anyone goes to court about it, we will fight them."

Calling privatisation 'the biggest robbery in the country's history,' he said decisions about national institutions such as PSM, Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Railways could only be made after consultation with the Council of Common Interests.

Ghani added that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had formed a four-member committee to discuss the matter with the federal government, while the CM himself would soon write to the Centre about the steel mills and the dismissed workers.

"The Sindh government has the capacity to run the steel mills; we earlier made this offer to then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif too," he claimed. "Today, too, we are ready to operate the PSM."

Addressing Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Ghani pointed out he had earlier said that if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came to power and fired PSM workers, he would stand with the latter rather than the government. But, he added, the Sindh government would not accept their 'illegal' dismissal.

He turned to the PTI's coalition partners too, asking the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Grand Democratic Alliance why they stayed mum when the people of Karachi and the rest of Sindh were being fired from their jobs. "They should resign rather than remain silent while the federal government carries out economic massacre of the people."

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2020.