The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has approached the court for more retrenchment and privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills arguing ‘it is not possible to run the steel mills’ now, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

The TV channel reported that CEO Pakistan Steel Mill has filed a petition under section 11A of the West Pakistan Industries Act in the Labour court that in which he maintained that it is no longer possible to operate Pakistan Steel Mill and it has been decided to privatize the state run organization.

The application moved by Pakistan Steel Mills CEO stated that privatization and reforms are urgently required for Steel Mills and the court may grant permission to privatize the steel mills under section 11A of West Pakistan Industries Act.

Separately, Sindh High Court (SHC) hearing the dismissal case of thousands of employees of Pakistan Steel Mills, Sindh High Court rejected the request for immediate hearing, stating whether any party other than CBA can file the petition.

A large number of steel mill employees also gathered outside the Sindh High Court and chanted slogans against the decision of the federal government of forced dismissal and demanded the withdrawal of the decision.

Earlier, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Thursday warned that they would take over the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) if the PTI government rewarded any “ATM” through privatization.

The land on which the PSM had been built was owned by the province, he said and added that they would not allow anyone to grab the land worth thousands of billions of rupees. “Mafia is eyeing the Steel Mills,” the PPP leader maintained.

Ghani also stated that they would take back the land if the state-run enterprise was privatised. Which organisation had been restored during the last two-and-a-half years, Ghani questioned and said that the PTI government did not want to run the PSM.

Decisions could not be taken without taking the provinces into confidence and also made it clear that the decisions being taken by the Centre on Sindh’s islands were unconstitutional which would be resisted at every level.

“The federal government wants to occupy the islands.” Ghani reminded the audience that Asad Umar, a federal cabinet member, had promised that he would leave the ministry if the PSM was privatised and also blasted government allies MQM and GDA.