November 07, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 8, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 6: Federal Minister for Industry and Production Mian Manzoor Ahmed Watto has said that excluding the Pakistan Steel Mills from the list of privatization and its further expansion are among the government’s priorities.

Addressing the first general session of the Pakistan Steel People’s Workers Union (CBA) at the MTC Auditorium of the mills on Wednesday night, he said President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would visit the mills soon. “The Pakistan Steel Mills is a gift to the nation from PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and we all will protect it at all costs,” he declared.

Chairman of the workers union Shamshad Qureshi said 11 workers of Pakistan Steel sacked by the previous government were reinstated last week.

Other office-bearers of the CBA also spoke.

Sacked workers

Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has said that the federal cabinet has decided to reinstate all government employees sacked during 1996 and 1998.

Talking to newsmen at the Mazar-i-Quaid on Thursday, he said these workers had been sacked illegally on political grounds. In reply to a question, he said he didn’t know the exact number of such employees but, according to him, it was in thousands.

The minister said that all disputes between provinces would be resolved with consensus.

He held out the assurance that the PPP government would uphold supremacy of parliament and democracy in the country, and said that provision of all due rights of workers would be ensured.—APP