No Plan To Sell PIA's Roosevelt Hotel: NA Told

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2020 ) :Minister for Communications Murad Saeed on Monday informed the National Assembly that the government had no intention to sell Pakistan International Airlines Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Speaking in the National Assembly on a motion to discuss the privatization policy of the government, he said one decision regarding Roosevelt hotel had been made and that was to improve it and increase its revenue.

Murad Saeed said a policy about privatization would be devised and everything would be done as per wishes of the Parliament.

He said during PML-N's tenure, about 41 state institutions including Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan International Airlines were included in the privatisation list.

He said Khawaj Asif who spoke before him (Murad) did not talk about the privatization policy of the government. "I was expecting suggestions and criticism on privatization policy but he did not speak about it, " he added.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was determined to convert country's state owned enterprises into profitable entities.

He said, "It is unfortunate that all the state owned enterprises including Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Railways were destroyed by PML-N and PPP in their tenures." The minister said the government was reforming these entities and its benefit would reach the masses.

He said Pakistan Steel Mills was in profit in 2007-2008 but it was pushed into loss by the PPP government, while during the tenure of PML-N its operation was totally closed.

Murad Saeed said the prime minister had decided to introduce reforms to make these state owned institutions profitable. "We want that all the state owned institutions should stand on their feet. We want to make them profitable through reforms," he added.

He said before COVID-19, financial health of Pakistan Railways, PIA and other institutions improved.

Murad Saeed alleged that foreign minister and defence minister of PML-N government were employed abroad and asked how an employee in another country could safeguard interests of Pakistan. He said Nawaz Sharif came to politics through shortcuts while his leader Imran Khan became Prime Minister after struggle of 22 years.

He said Shahbaz Sharif was still waiting for a shortcut to form a government.

The minister said the prime minster had ordered an inquiry on sugar issue, but opposition in its tenure failed to conduct such an inquiry.

He said there was no law which says that advisers and special assistants should declare their assets. He said for first time in the history of the country, advisers and special assistants had declared their assets as per the vision of Imran Khan.

He demanded all the advisers and special assistants who served during the tenure of the PML-N and PPP to declare their assets as well.

Murad Saeed said finance minister of PML-N Ishaq Dar damaged the country's economy.

He said he did not bother about personal attacks and always took up the issues logically.

He said when he directed for recovery of millions of rupees from an opposition member, the latter pleaded him for leniency.

Murad pledged to continue working under Imran Khan's leadership to bring a significant change in the country's politics.

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif said privatization process was started by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) during its first tenure and during that process interest of the employees was kept in mind.

He said running commercial organizations was not the job of the governments.

Asif said that PML-N was not against privatization but the process should be transparent.