Supreme Court bars govt from purchasing Pakistan Steel Mills' land

The Supreme Court on Monday barred the federal government from purchasing the lands of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), saying that it is "the people’s land".

A two-member bench of the top court, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, issued the orders while hearing a petition related to the release of provident funds to the steel mills employees.

The court also rejected an application seeking the freezing of the accounts of the Ministry of Industries and Production.

During the hearing, Justice Gulzar remarked that the production of the steel mills stands at zero. He further said that the government has destroyed the entity to fill its own pockets, and wondered why the court should not take notice of its matters.

To this, the government’s counsel replied that there were no funds to pay the provident funds, explaining that the government's purchase of the land would enable it to pay the steel mills employees.

The apex court rejected the government’s stance and barred the federal government from making the purchase. In its orders, the court said that the lands of PSM is owned by the people, and therefore, cannot be bought.