ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The government has no plan for an outright sale of Pakistan Post, Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways and Islamabad Electric Supply Company, Federal Minister for Privatisation Senator Waqar Ahmad said here on Friday.

The categorical statement from the minister, who also heads Privatisation Commission, has come in the wake of apprehensions of retrenchment of employees in these state-owned entities.

Senator Waqar said that certain elements were misleading the workers of SoEs for their ulterior motives and political gains about the government's turnaround plan, which was never meant to sell off “our precious national assets in haste or at a throwaway price”.

“I will soon hold meetings with the representatives of the respective CBA unions of SoEs to remove their fears and grievances if any”, the minister remarked. The apprehensions of retrenchment of the employees of these entities were baseless as the government has undertaken the reinstatement of the dismissed and retrenched employees of the past.—Our Reporter