KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Senator Sirajul Haq on Sunday condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for sacking over 4,000 employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills, saying that instead of sacking these poor employees, the government should have punished those corrupt rulers who had destroyed the mega industrial unit of the country.

Mr Haq visited the sit-in venue and addressed the protesting PSM workers. He urged that Prime Minister Imran Khan hold dialogue with the protesting employees and their families and restore their jobs forthwith.

The sit-in has been continuing for the past two weeks in front of PSM chairman’s house in Steel Town and scores of workers, including women, are protesting there.

“They say that workers have been sacked because of the losses incurred by the PSM. If there are losses, then why the chief executive officer of the PSM is being paid Rs1.7 million per month as salary,” he asked.

The JI leader said that instead of keeping his promise of giving employment to at least 10 million people, the prime minister had made more people jobless.

Senator Haq said the Steel Mills had played an important role in the country’s economy but “corrupt rulers” had destroyed it.

“The government should have ordered an inquiry to identify and punish the people responsible for the failure of this organisation. But, the government has rendered workers jobless and left them helpless,” he said.

He demanded that a drastic action be taken against those who increased their wealth, industries and sugar mills at the cost of the PSM and their properties be sold to cover the losses of the mills.

He said that the JI had raised the issue of the PSM in Senate before and he would raise it in the parliament again.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2021