ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) has informed a parliamentary panel that Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employees’ union office-bearers were involved in most of theft activities taken place over the years on the premises of the mills.
While briefing a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production held here on Tuesday under the convenor-ship of Member National Assembly Naz Baloch, the FIA officials briefed that over the past many years, the agency has conducted five inquiries into the PSM cases related to theft.
They informed that inquiry into illegal recruitments was also carried out which found that several employees were recruited illegally for which the FIA is going to register an FIR.
The FIA officials said that agency also held an inquiry into the theft involving an amount of Rs10 million and a case has been registered by the local police.
The FIA officials said the PSM employees’ union has a big role in the theft cases, adding that two vehicles were allotted to a union secretary, but he did not return them, when he was asked to return the vehicles, he simply replied that they were stolen.
MNA Naz Baloch said that everyone having some connection with PSM knows that theft activities are being taken place in the Steel Mills was a common practice. Naz Baloch said “she has come to know that copper was also stolen from the mills in such large quantities, remarking that the DG FIA will be summoned in the next meeting and to get a briefing from him how much recovery has been made.”
Additional Secretary Ministry of Industries and Production while briefing the panel said the matter of theft in the steel mills was also raised in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on various occasion over the years. He added that the PAC had ordered the ministry of industries to conduct inquiries on matter.
Member Committee Abdul Hakeem Baloch while raising serious concerns over the low salaries of the PSM employees said the children of many Steel Mills employees were found begging in front of mosques. He said the salaries of the employees of PSM were very low and the panel should prioritize the issue of salaries of these employees before doing anything for the steel mills.
The convener committee sought full details regarding daily wage and permanent employees of steel mills. Briefing the panel on the subject of theft cases, Senior Superintendent of Police district Malir said that police have registered several FIRs.
He said that police were not allowed to enter inside the premises of the PSM and, thieves were caught outside of the PSM premises. He said that law must strictly be imposed against the elements involved in theft cases.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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