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| March 18, 2006 | Saturday | Safar 17, 1427 |
Bank urged to rescind sacking decision
LARKANA, March 17: Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro warned on Friday that his party would use all forums to put pressure on the Habib Bank management to revoke its decision to sack 3,100 workers.
Speaking at a news conference here, he said that the decision ran counter to agreement reached at the time of bank’s privatization between workers and the new management.
The PPP would make use of all forums including, the National Assembly, the Senate and the Sindh Assembly to mobilize opinion against the decision.
He said instead of revamping sick industries the government was dishing out profit-making industries and institutions at throwaway prices.
The ‘unwise’ decision had on the one hand added to unemployment and on the other forced dejected low-paid workers to commit suicide, he said.
Mr Khuhro lashed out at the Privatization Commission for selling the HBL at just Rs22 billion though, he said only its assets value was in excess of Rs120 billion. The privatisation was a blunder and it inflicted colossal losses to the national exchequer, he added.
He said the claims the country had accumulated huge reserves rang hollow as the government had hardly been able to clear $1 billion loan, with $40 billion still remaining outstanding.
Replying to a questioner, he said though treasury benches had rendered Sindh Assembly virtually handicapped, still PPP would consider requisitioning a session to discuss the issue.
The speaker routinely bulldozed opposition’s adjournment motions and cut motions only to skip discussing burning issues of the province on the assembly’s floor, he alleged.
Qutab Ali Shah, Jawed Hussain Mangi, Abdul Wahid Jatoi condemned the bank’s decision.
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