CHAIRMAN Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto has again opposed the privatization policy of the federal government suggesting that instead of privatization of the national flag carrier the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) it should be run on public-private partnership. Speaking at a seminar to mark the Labour Day in Karachi, he said the land of Pakistan Steel Mills belongs to Sindh and, therefore, its future should be decided in consultation with the province, adding Sindh may be given an opportunity to acquire and operate it more efficiently under the public-private partnership mode.
It is a matter of serious concern that generally political parties are not adopting realistic and consistent stand on important economic issues despite their repeated slogans about the need to have a Charter of Economy (CoE). It has all along been observed that when in power they view things differently and talk in stark contrast when others are at the helm of affairs. The PPP remained in power at the Centre and it was ruling the Sindh province for a long time and therefore, had ample opportunity to try to run loss-incurring institutions on public-private partnership mode but then it also carried forward the process of privatization. The province has also been demanding hand over of some institutions but could not respond positively when formal offers were made to acquire PSM or Discos. It is also a reality that reckless policies adopted by the governments of some parties in the past also contributed to the downfall of some national assets as they were stuffed with unnecessary and ineligible staff purely on political considerations. Some analysts are also pointing out that there was hardly any difference between privatization and the PPP mode when a percentage of governmental shares in an institution are divested as is being envisaged in the case of PIA now and therefore, unnecessary hype must be avoided. The process for privatization of PIA is in the final stages and it should not be made hostage to political expediency. The PPP is an important stakeholder in the existing setup and one hopes it would try its level best to build national consensus on the issue of privatization. This is because the process was originally initiated to get rid of loss-making institutions but the family silver is also being sold and often at throw-away prices for reasons other than commercial considerations.
