KARACHI, June 14: Political parties have strongly criticized privatization of the PTCL, deployment of troops and large scale arrests of PTCL union office bearers, while accusing the regime of pitting army against the people. They were of the view that privatisation of PTCL was not in the national interest, as it would seriously undermine national security interests with negative bearing on the economy.
The President of the ANP, Senator Asfandyar Wali, alleged that the present government had totally failed in providing employment to the worker class.
He said that while thousands were waiting for job opportunities, the government was making more and more people jobless through privatization.
The ANP president demanded reversal of the PTCL’s privatization process and demanded release of all arrested workers.
Meanwhile, the central information secretary of the PPP, Taj Haider, said the actions taken by the regime proved that it was never sincere in talks with leaders of the PTCL union.
It was merely buying time to prepare for large scale suppression of the PTCL workers who are struggling to protect one of the most crucial national assets from falling into foreign hands, he alleged.
Mr Haider was of the view that workers were trying to prevent risks to national security and loss to the national exchequer, and unemployment of the PTCL workers at the hands of a few elements.
He said the apprehension that the PTCL, after a few years, would start showing losses was mere ‘wishful thinking’ of those who wanted to deprive the country of its gainful assets.
Supplementing his statement, the PPP leader said firstly, the present ‘corrupt and inefficient government’ would not be around at that time and instead the PTCL workers and a representative government would be in place.
Secondly, he said, how could a utility in a rapidly expanding economic sector and earning more than Rs30 billion a year, besides having a nationwide infrastructure with a highly skilled and dedicated manpower, start showing losses if its management was prevented from conspiring for its failure and paving the way for its sale to foreign interests.
He warned that using soldiers against the workers was fraught with all kinds of dangers. Soldiers and workers belonged to the same working class of society with common interests, he added.
Further, the duty of the armed forces was to protect citizens against foreign aggression, and it was fundamentally wrong to use them for consolidating the interests of foreign capital by suppressing Pakistani workers, Mr Haider remarked.
The PPP leader advised the PTCL workers to use maximum restraint and to remain peaceful under all situations.
The whole nation supported their just cause, he said, adding that it was only through their higher consciousness, unity and discipline that they would defeat the alleged conspiracy of pitting brother against brother.
The central leader of the MMA and Amir Jamaat-i-Islami Sindh, Dr Mumtaz Memon, criticizing the decision of the privatizing the PTCL has termed it illogical and anti-labour, adds PPI.
In a press statement issued the other day, he said the PTCL was a profitable, national and sensitive organization.
He deplored the privatization move, and said the government was going ahead with privatizing the PTCL despite opposition from all political parties, labour unions and even former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali, of the ruling party.
He added that steps taken by the government would lead to many suspicions and doubts.
Bitterly criticizing government policies, he said the government, already failing in providing people with jobs, was bent upon depriving even those who were on-job by privatizing profitable national organizations.
The JI leader demanded the government to review its decision regarding privatization and accept the reasonable and proper demands of employees.
