Pakistan Steel.

THE two main opposition parties, namely the Pakistan Muslim League-N and the Peoples Party, are protesting against the government's plan to terminate the services of all the employees of Pakistan Steel Mills in the wake of its proposed privatisation.

The irony is that these opposition parties, as well as the PSM Workers' Association, are not demanding the revival of the country's only integrated steelmaking complex of strategic nature.

In case the PSM - which has been non-operational since June 2015 - is revived and put back into operation as committed by the government in its election promises, a majority of these employees could obviously be retained. But then, both the PML-N and the PPP are responsible for the mills' present state of affairs.

The steel mills were offered for divestment a number...