ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: Maj-Gen (rtd) Mohammad Javed has been appointed chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) in place of Lt-Gen (rtd) Abdul Qayyum, sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

A notification to this effect was issued on Tuesday after its approval by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the sources said.

When contacted, Gen Javed confirmed the news of his appointment as PSM chairman, saying he would soon be leaving for Karachi to assume the charge.

In reply to a question, a former chairman of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Wah said he would follow the government’s policy to prepare Pakistan Steel’s privatisation plan afresh after value addition in the largest steel plant of the country.

“The PSM will have to be made viable before its privatisation,” he said, adding it had to be kept functioning.

Gen Javed was one of the vocal members of the 11-member Board of PSM till his retirement as POF chairman.

Gen Qayyum was appointed PSM chairman in January 2004.