ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government has not taken any decision to privatize the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed told the National Assembly on Friday.
“No employee of the OGDCL is being laid off and their rights are fully being protected,” the minister of state said responding to the points of order raised by opposition members against privatization policy of the government.
The state minister said that section 144 is imposed in Islamabad and there was no justification for the employees of the OGDCL to take out protest when their organization is not being privatized.
Sheikh Aftab regretted that the employees also resorted to the violence and injured two police officials. He said that a committee is being constituted to investigate the incident and inquiry report will be presented before the House.
Earlier, members belonging to opposition parties condemned the use of force against the employees of the OGDCL. They said that the government should review its privatization policy and should not sell profitable entities.
The members belong to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami National Party (ANP) staged walkout out from the House over the government’s privatization policy.
