The privatisation of public departments since 1980 was challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday through a constitutional petition, seeking accountability of the people involved in selling away public properties on very low rates. United Human Rights Commission general secretary Rana Faizul Hasan moved with the petition pleading the court to form a commission to determine the actual value of government-owned departments, which were privatised during different regimes, while huge amounts of loans were released from different banks showing the privatised departments to be suffering from heavy losses.
Alleging the current and former governments of massive corruption in privatising public departments, the petitioner stated that several reports were made public in this regard but no serious action has been initiated so far for the accountability of people responsible, as no transparent policies were adopted in the privatisation process. He mentioned that on May 23, President Asif Ali Zardari had stated that a committee has been formed comprising federal ministers and officials from finance, petroleum, water and power ministries and other private institutions to submit their proposals within four weeks to finalise the process of privatising some more public organisations.
“Despite the fact that the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatisation had strongly opposed the privatisation of electricity-producing companies as well as 10 percent shares of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited in the international market, the government still privatised them,” stated the plaintiff. He added that since 1991, 167 public departments have been handed over to the private sector with the government earning Rs 476 billion; moreover, another 58 government departments are set to be privatised.
The appellant stated that a number of valuable public properties were sold at very low rates such as the 39 properties worth Rs 40 billion were sold at only Rs 850 million, while a particular buyer was allotted 200 acres of land in Lahore and Bahawalpur. He alleged that no initiatives have been taken by the government for the accountability of ministries and government officials involved despite a number of such misappropriations being reported.
Citing the federal government through its law secretary, federal privatisation minister, chairman Standing Committee on Privatisation and federal law ministry as respondents, the petitioner pleaded that the privatization of public departments since 1980 be reverted. He also prayed that an inquiry commission consisting of ministers and retired judges be established to determine the actual value of the privatised departments. Admitting the petition, the court fixed June 7 for its hearing.
