08 February 2004	Sunday	16 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: Privatization and Investment Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh here on Saturday urged overseas Pakistanis to subscribe to the secondary public offering of Sui Southern Gas Company shares opening from Monday.

Explaining the policy to a delegation of overseas Pakistanis, the minister said the government intended to transfer the benefits of privatization to all the citizens including those who were serving the country while working abroad.

The route adopted for the divestment of GoP shares in the public sector entities through the stock market enabled the common citizens to extract the fruits of privatization in a most transparent manner and to have the ownership of national assets as the real heir of these entities, he said.

The minister affirmed that through proper sequencing and spacing, government shares in PIA, KAPCO, PPL, UBL and other entities would also be offered to the general public.

There are 14 bankers to this offer, the minister stated. These include Allied Bank Limited, Askari Commercial Bank Ltd, Al Habib Ltd, Faysal Bank Ltd, First Women Bank Ltd, Habib Bank Ltd, Jahangir Siddiqui Investment Bank Ltd, KASB Bank Ltd, Meezan Bank Ltd, Metropolitan Bank Ltd, Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd, National Bank of Pakistan, PICIC Commercial Bank Ltd, and Union Bank Ltd.

Forms can also be downloaded from web sites: www.privatisation.gov.pk, www.ssgc.com.pk, www.am2sec.com.pk and www.meezanbank.com.