SC bars government from selling Pakistan Steel Mills land

• Apex court dismissed the govt's application against the order to freeze accounts of Ministry of Industry and Production.
• Justice Gulzar Ahmad remarked that the production of the mill is zero.

The Supreme Court (SC) barred on Monday the federal government from selling Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) land.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard the case related to payment of provident fund to PSM employees. The government counsel argued that the government is selling land to pay employees salaries.

The court dismissed the government's application against the order to freeze the accounts of the Ministry of Industry and Production. Justice Gulzar Ahmed expressed disappointment at the steel mill's performance and said that the mill was destroyed by the government to fill their own pockets.

Justice Gulzar Ahmad remarked that the production of the mill is zero. He said that PSM was once a very large company and hundreds of steel mills used to run through it. “Cars, trucks and even rockets were prepared in PSM,” he said.

The court has barred the federal government from selling the land of PSM, saying that it cannot be sold as “it belongs to the people”. The hearing was subsequently adjourned for 15 days.