June 23, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1427

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TAXILA, June 22: Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal leader and MPA Prof Mohammad Waqas Khan has accused that the government was selling state assets at throwaway price under a conspiracy.

Talking to the media here on Thursday, he claimed that national institutions were being ruined on the directions of imperialist forces.

He alleged that the government was privatizing profitable business units and this act was totally against the people of the country and workers of these units.

“The Heavy Mechanical Complex Taxila, Steel Mills, SSGPL, SNGPL, OGDCL, PSO, NRL, Parco and Attock Refinery Companies are profitable units but the government has planned to sell them at throwaway prices,” he said.

The MMA leader called upon the government to stop the process of privatization, downsizing, contractual employment system and reduce the rate of unemployment in the country. Prof Khan expressed his deep anguish over the murder of journalist Hayatullah Khan. He condemned the killing and termed it a direct result of the government policies.

Responding to a question, he said that the federal budget was nothing but a fraud with the masses, wherein no incentives were given to the common people.

“The budget would further widen the increasing gap between the rich and poor in the country and the rich would become richer and the poor poorer,” he added.

Mr Khan observed that 80 per cent of the taxes were being collected from the common people while there were no taxes on the rich. Import duties on big vehicles were slashed in the budget just to benefit the elite class, he added.

ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS CONDEMNED: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Taxila President Malik Najeebur Rehman in a statement has expressed deep anguish over the murder of journalist Hayatullah Khan and incidents of attack on media persons.

“We all stand in solidarity with Hayatullah’s family and hope that they would bear his loss with fortitude.”

He criticized the government’s response in the incident and termed it irresponsible.

“The killing of TV cameraman Munir Sangi, attack on another TV reporter Sarmad and various other incidents against the media shows that journalists are under constant threat and have no security to fulfil their professional responsibilities,” he added.