SUKKUR, Oct 7: A multi-party conference on Tuesday unanimously rejected the proposed privatisation of Qadirpur gas field and vowed that the parties and general public were ready to lay down every possible sacrifice to save the national asset from being sold off.

The speakers said at the APC organised by the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party in Mirpur Mathelo that the proposed privatisation of the gas field would deprive local people of jobs.

They said that ironically, the gas field, which was inaugurated by PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto was being disposed of by the present PPP-led coalition government at a throwaway price.

Earlier, the government had privatised Pak Saudi Fertiliser Company and more than 500 local workers had lost jobs after the company fell into private hands, they said, adding that the government was going to repeat the same mistake.

They demanded that the government shelve the proposal and vowed that they would put up strong protest at every forum to save the gas field from privatisation.

The conference formed three committees to organise fight against the privatisation of gas field. A committee comprising Jam Fatah Samejo, Saleem Akhtar Malik, Mushtaq Kolachi, Abdul Qadir Abro and Zahid Bhutto was to fight against the privatisation of gas field in courts.

The other committee comprising Zahid Bhutto, Lal Bux Ghoto, Nazar Mohammad Charan, Hatan Shar, Moulana Ishaq Leghari and Dr. Zafar Bhutto was tasked with motivating area people and organising public gatherings, processions, sit-ins and demonstrations.

The third committee comprising Asadullah Bhutto, Zahid Bhutto, Syed Lal Shah, Qaiser Zaman Pathan, Qadir Bux Kalwar and Jam Fatah Samejo was assigned the task to hold meetings with elected representatives and apprise them of the disadvantages of privatisation of the gas field.

The conference was addressed by STP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, Syed Lal Shah of Sindh United Party, Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation chairman Abdul Haq Khatian, Dr Zafar Bhutto of Sindh National Front, Maulana Mohammad Ishaq of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Qaiser Zaman of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Asadullah Bhutto of Jamaat-i-Islami, Kamal Mahar of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Comrade Mandhal Shar of Sindh Hari Committee, Nazar Mohammad Charan of Pakistan People’s Party-Shaheed Bhutto, Qadir Bux Kalwar of Pakistan People’s Party, Intizar Chalgari of Primary Schoolteacher Association and Zahid Bhutto of OGDCL Mazdoor Ittehad. Hundreds of workers of the gas field and common people also attended the conference,

Our Larkana correspondent adds: Labour leaders while opposing the proposed privatisation of Qadirpur gas field termed the move as anti-labour.

Pakistan Telecom Employees Union (CBA) Chairman Zulfikar Sangi, Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation General Secretary Manzoor Ahmed Aheer and others while speaking at a gathering of various labour organisations on Tuesday viewed the decision to privatise a company earning Rs8 billion daily as totally unwise and that too, for a trifling Rs40 billion. The value offered has surprised the sane and wise, they said.

Citing example of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company they said that before privatisation it was earning Rs29 billion profit annually which now has stooped to mere Rs9 billion.

However, the government tried to rescue it by injecting Rs22 billion and offered Volunteer Separation Scheme (VSS) but the PTCL managers showed it running in loss and even skipped the bonus to its employees. The leaders revealed that the PTCL managers were drawing Rs3 billion as consultancy package.

Another example was of the KESC, which even after privatisation, could not improve the performance, they lamented.