KARACHI, June 11: The Anti-Privatisation and Peoples’ Rights Forum on Sunday held the privatisation process responsible for increasing joblessness and price-hike in the country, and demanded that all privatised vital national organisations be nationalised again in the larger interest of the country and the nation.In a statement, President Hanif Alvi, General Secretary Raheel Iqbal and other office-bearers, Usman Baloch, Ayub Qureshi and Khalid Shahdaz Lashkari, said that the privatisation process had adversely affected all walks of life.

They said that masses, particularly workers in Karachi, had been protesting strongly against the privatisation of vital organizations, especially KESC, but the rulers had been paying no heed to their calls. They maintained that failure of utility organisations resulting from their privatisation had created chaotic situation.

Instead of reversing its decision of privatizing the KESC, the government had resorted to ordering early closure of business in Karachi. This, they added, would only aggravate the problems of unemployment and price-hike.

They demanded withdrawal of the order of early closure of business to ensure continued economic and commercial activities in the city.—PPI