The Supreme Court on Tuesday restored the review petition against the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM). A nine-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard Arif Habib Group''s review petition against the apex court''s judgment dated June 30, 2006. According to reports, the PSM''s accumulated losses and liabilities, which stood at Rs 26 billion at the end of 2008, have increased to around Rs 415 billion, including Rs 166 billion payable liabilities. The government has injected over Rs 85 billion out of the federal budget for various bailout packages since then.
During the proceedings, Khalid Anwar, appearing on behalf of Arif Habib Group, said that the apex court on 30th June 2006 had announced its judgment against privatization of PSM. Though he had filed a review petition against the SC verdict within time, it was kept pending for seven long years and was ultimately dismissed in 2013.
Anwar further stated that on 24-05-2013 he applied for general adjournment from 02-06-2013 to 03-07-2013, and on 30th May, 2013, received a letter from Registrar Supreme Court that his leaves have been approved. However, the apex court fixed the case on 06-06-2013 and dismissed his review petition. Barrister Zafarullah, representing Watan Party, on whose petition the apex court had taken a suo motu, contended that this case should not be reopened as Pandora''s box will open as the things have been changed dramatically.
Upon that the Chief Justice inquired from Anwar if they restore the review petition then what benefit he would get. Anwar said there are certain defective interpretation of the law and the travesty of facts given in the apex court judgment. There are certain paragraphs that are defamatory to his client, he added.
In 2010, the Privatization Commission had to temporarily shelve the plan for the privatization of PSM after it failed to circumvent the top court''s judgment and was found to be intruding in the mandate of other ministries. Last month, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had given a formal go-ahead for the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan International Airlines. He granted the related approval while presiding over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization at the Prime Minister''s Office. However, Pakistan People''s Party and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf are opposing the privatization of PSM and PIA. Sindh Assembly on February 22 passed a resolution denouncing the sell-off plans of the two mega entities.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.