January 9, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 8, 1426

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TAXILA, Jan 8: Sui Northern Gass Pipelines (SNGPL) Union and Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) have opposed the privatization of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and said the present government is selling all profit earning entities, contributing to growing unemployment, poverty and price hike.

Speaking at a press conference, SNGPL Union (CBA) Wah chapter President Zahid Hussain Shah, general secretary Raja Asim and PTUDC Wah chapter organizer Yasir Arafat said President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz repeatedly claimed that Pakistan’s economy was taking off.

But it is widely conceded in the press that the privatization and retrenchment policies of the regime have resulted in growing poverty and social inequality, they added.

They were of the view that the privatization of Sui Northern Gass Pipelines was a conspiracy against the country and its people as the government wanted to sell all public utility organizations at throwaway prices.

The union leaders said all the Sui Northern Gass Pipelines employees would continue their struggle at all fronts against the privatization of the company.

They said SNGPL employees of Wah chapter would follow any call given by the SNGPL Central Labour Union President Zulfikar Afghani in this regard.

ONE KILLED: A man was killed after being hit by a van on the GT Road in the jurisdiction of Hassanabdal police station.

Police said Irshad was crossing the road near Khaliqdad bus stop when the passenger van hit him. He was being taken to a hospital when he died.