National institutions privatization will paralyze the economy:Munawar Hasan

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Syed Mnawar Hasan, has said the privatization of major national institutions was tantamount to paralyzing the national economy and the worst form of nepotism.

Talking to different delegations at Mansoora  he said the sale of the prestigious national institutions was against national interests. He said the PIA could be made a profit earning body through administrative reforms.

The JI Ameer pointed out that the PML(N) during its previous stint in power, had obliged its favorites by selling out banks, cement factories, Pakistan Post and other institutions, on throw away prices. He said there was little chance of transparency in the sale of 26 per cent shares of the PIA.

The JI Ameer said that the national career had been ruined because of corruption, nepotism and unnecessary appointments made under political pressure. He said, instead of reviving the airline by laying off the surplus staff,  the PMLN() government planned  to sell it to its favourites. He said, the PIA and other such institutions had been driven to the present plight under a plan with the ulterior motive to sell these to favorites on throw away prices. He said the PPP and the PML(N) had recruited thousands of their workers in these institutions due to which these had reached the point of collapse. He said the  PIA, Railways, Steels Mills and other national institutions could be made profitable if the government made honest efforts in this direction.

Syed Munawar Hasan pointed out that the PIA had 600 pilots and over 18000 other staff to fly only 50 planes, while most of the inland and foreign flights were cancelled and the passengers were sold to private airlines and the PIA had to suffered loss of billions. He said on one hand, the rulers were crying over the bail out of the PIA, Railways and the Steel Mills by a package of 100 billions per month while on the other hand, top government figures were getting their near and dear ones recruited in these institutions.

The JI Ameer termed the PPP and the PML()N) the two sides of the same coin and said both were in competing with each other in trampling upon the golden principles of the Quaid e Azam. He said the PPP was in playing the role of the Friendly Opposition now while the PML(N) had played this role in the past. The party promising to break the begging bowl had secured record loans from the IMF on most humiliating terms which also included the frequent raise in the prices of the POL, gas and electricity.