ZTBL, PMDC sell-off questioned

The Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation on Tuesday raised concerns over the government’s plans to privatise two state-owned entities — the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) — and questioned the rationale behind their inclusion in the programme. Chairman of the Privatisation Commission, Muhammad Ali, clarified that PMDC is not currently on the active privatisation list. However, Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan questioned why land was being allotted to the entity if there were no plans for privatisation. He also asked for details regarding the geographical area under PMDC’s operations and the volume of mineral output. Senators noted that the Ministry of Petroleum lacked the mandate to initiate the privatisation of PMDC.