KARACHI, March 30: The Sindh High Court dismissed on Thursday a writ petition against the proposed privatisation of the Pakistan Steel. An additional advocate-general informed a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Mrs Qaiser Iqbal, that the Sindh chief minister was consulted on PSM privatisation and he had no objection to it.

The bench had inquired about the chief minister’s consent as the petitioner Pakistan Steel People’s Workers Union had submitted through its counsel, Abdul Mujib Pirzada, that the federal and federally-managed commercial and industrial undertakings fell within the purview of the Council of Common Interests under Articles 153 and 154 of the Constitution and that no decision about them could be taken by any other forum. The CCI had all chief ministers as its members.

Besides, the petitioner union submitted, the land for the mills was provided by the provincial government and could not now be transferred to a private owner. The Sindh government was neither consulted nor any policy framework was approved by the CCI for PSM privatisation.

Advocate Khalid Anwer appeared for the privatisation commission and defended its decision as legal under the Privatisation Ordinance of 2000.

He said any dispute in relation to subjects within the purview of the CCI could only be agitated by the federal government or a provincial government.

Besides, provincial chief secretaries were members of the privatisation commission and their presence signified the assent of the provincial government and chief minister.

He cited a Lahore High Court judgment in favour of his arguments. Observing that there was no dispute between the federal and provincial governments regarding privatisation of the PSM and that the decision was taken after approval of the federal cabinet, the bench dismissed the petition by a short order and for detailed reasons to be given later.