Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on 09-April-2025 presided over a joint meeting with the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) administration and Trade Union and announced that his government would take over the hospitals, schools and colleges associated with the Steel Mills to ensure their operations.
He also ordered the restoration of water supply and electricity to Steel Town. Officials said the meeting held at the CM House was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Shahid Thaheem, Saeed Ghani, Special Assistant to CM Waqar Mehdi, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Labour Secretary Rafiq Qureshi, Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) CEO Ahmed Siddiqui, COO Asadullah Khan, PSM CEO Asad Islam Mahani, Convener of Pakistan Steel Grand Alliance Shamshad Qureshi, and representatives from the All Employees Grand Alliance, including Dhani Bakhsh Samo, Mirza Tariq Javed, Akbar Narejo, Saleem Gul, and Akbar Memon.
The CM reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to reviving the Pakistan Steel Mills and ensuring the welfare of its employees. “I want to see the issues of Steel Mills employees resolved,” he stated.
Shah announced that 700 acres of land had been allocated for the revival of the mills, and the administration of the mills and the ministry concerned were currently conducting a commercial feasibility study for a new steel plant.
He expressed concern over the federal government’s decision to shut down the mills, emphasising that layoffs contradicted the goal of revival.
Moreover, he said he would request Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reinstate the 1,370 employees who were laid off before Ramazan, as well as 49 interns and skilled workers dismissed between 2020 and 2021. He also directed the KWSC to immediately restore water supply to Steel Town and instructed the chief secretary to ensure this was implemented.
In a significant announcement, the CM Sindh said Steel Town’s 100-bed hospital, schools and colleges would be reopened and managed by the Sindh government. He instructed the chief secretary to take over the facilities and ensure that they were made operational without delay.
Union representatives raised concerns about high electricity service charges. The PSM CEO informed the CM that the Steel Mills had paid Rs30 million in electricity bills to the K-Electric while the residents of Steel Town contributed only Rs12 million, which also caused a loss to the mills.
It was also noted that the PSM was purchasing electricity at a commercial rate of Rs60 per unit. The CM ordered that the electricity issues in Steel Town be resolved on a priority basis. Shah announced a financial aid package of Rs5 million for the family of Saleem Khushk, a PSM worker who was recently martyred. He instructed that dismissed employees who had not yet received payments should be considered as employed.
Convener Shamshad Qureshi briefed the CM on challenges faced by the PSM, including pending dues for retired employees from 2021, illegal electricity charges, gas supply issues and the long-awaited launch of Gulshan-e-Hadeed Phase 4. The industries and production ministry assured the meeting that the phase would be launched soon after consultation.
The CM formed a committee under the commissioner to survey Steel Town’s housing rent issues and electricity tariffs. Meanwhile, the PSM CEO and the secretary of production assured that they would seek federal government’s approval within four weeks to clear dues.
“If we aim to revive Pakistan Steel, there is no justification for laying off employees. I will raise this issue with the Prime Minister and aim to resolve all matters within six weeks,” the CM remarked.
Published in News Daily on 10-April-2025.