The Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employees approached the Sindh High Court over the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision to fire them. The petition said that the decision was supposed to be discussed by the Council of Common Interest as per the rules set by the Supreme Court in 2006. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, is expected to hear the case. The Pakistan Steel Mills, which is owned by the federation, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of iron and steel. It is spread over 18,642 acres, of which 10,000 acres is for the Mills while 8,000 is for Steel Town, a residential area, hospital and school. The Mills have been running in a loss since 2008 and were eventually shut down in 2015. It has caused losses of Rs229b to the national treasury. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the case of the Pakistan Steel Mills employees. A bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising justices IjazulAhsan and SayyedMazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi will take it up. On June 3, the Economic Coordination Committee approved firing all employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills. ARs20 billion package has been prepared for the employees and each of them will be given at least Rs2.3 million as golden handshake.
