The caretaker federal government of Pakistan has officially excluded the Pakistan Steel Mills from its active privatization list. The decision was revealed through a report by a private television channel, which highlighted the issuance of a revised list of state-owned entities (SOEs) targeted for privatization.
The new list comprises a total of 26 SOEs earmarked for privatization under the ongoing government privatization program. Notably, the Pakistan Steel Mills, a significant state-owned entity, has been excluded from this list.
Among the entities listed for privatization, the report indicates that four institutions each from the financial and real estate sectors will undergo the privatization process. Additionally, 14 entities from the energy sector have been earmarked for privatization, including power plants such as Balloki, Haveli Bahadur, Guddu, and Nandipur. Furthermore, ten state-owned electricity distribution companies are also part of the privatization agenda.
Other notable entities listed for privatization include the House Building Finance Corporation, First Women Bank, Pakistan Engineering Company, and Sindh Engineering Limited. The privatization list extends to properties such as Services International Hotel Lahore, Jinnah Convention Centre Islamabad, and PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel.
This development reflects the government’s commitment to the privatization program, focusing on various sectors to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in state-owned enterprises. The decision to exclude the Pakistan Steel Mills from the active privatization list marks a strategic shift in the government’s approach to the privatization of key entities.