ACCORDING to media reports, the Supreme Court of Paki
stan has asked the Government to layoff all employees of Pakistan Steel Mills and appoint new ones if it wanted to keep the institution running. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed, who is heading a three-member bench hearing a case relating to functioning of PSM, remarked the mills had been closed since 2015 but the employees were still getting their salaries.
The Mills stands shut down since 10 June 2015 not because of any mechanical fault or that the country no longer needs steel but due to wrong policies and faulty management. All plants and machines of the costly project were perfectly in order but the Mills had to be closed due to its inability to pay for the gas it consumed over the years. Since then, the Mills has been in media reports and there have been all sorts of suggestions for finding a workable solution including privatization of the entire PSM or selling of some of its assets and its restructuring with the help of China or Russia with both the countries expressing willingness to extend a helping hand for the purpose. The management is looking towards the federal government for injection of money to pay outstanding salaries and other dues of former and working members of the staff who have now lost hopes in the oft-repeated claims of doing something for revival of this important project. Apart from problems in payment of salaries, PSM has not paid gratuity to its former employees who have retired since May 2013 and it has failed to give provident fund to retiring staffers since 2015 and the number of such employees stands at three thousand. The direction of the Supreme Court is understandably motivated by its desire to bring an end the sad story of the institution, forcing the Government to accelerate decision-making as far as future of the Mills is concerned. We hope that the Government would reconsider the entire issue once again and draw up a workable plan for revival of the institution as per commitment of Prime Minister Imran Khan for the goal. As for staff, those hired on a political basis and those contributing nothing to the working of the institution should immediately be laid off while a Review Committee should decide the fate of others.
