The Pakistan National Steel Association (PNSA) and the Pakistan Steel Linepipe Industry Association (PSLIA) have requested the Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) to provide the details of recoveries due as their dealers are nominated in the FIRs of the Federal Investigating Authority.

In two different letters sent to the acting CEO of the PSM, Imtiaz Lodhi, the PNSA and the PSLIA stated that they had received notices u/s 160 CPRC in connection with the FIR No 17/2010 and 18/2010 of FIA Crime Circle Karachi, and had been asked to appear before Inspector FIA Crime Circle Gulsher Mughera in Karachi on July 23.

They stated that the PSM had blamed in the notices that the dealers had purchased the material from the PSM on lower rates, causing it huge losses. They said that the PSM had its own price-determining committee which decides the rates of its products and Pakistan Steel Mills dealers had no representation in the committee, nor could they influence the price of the committee. The dealers had purchased the material as per the prices notified by the PSM, they added.

This point was supported by the PSM management in a meeting held at FIA officer Karachi on July 7 where the acting CEO had categorically stated that the PSM had no claim/recovery against any dealers for the purchases they have made during the tenure of ex-chairman Moeen Aftab. So, the PSM could not issue notices of any recovery to any dealer. The letters sated that five dealers each from Karachi and Lahore had received the notices from the PSM.

The PNSA and PSLIA had requested to provide all the details of recoveries due by the dealers, so that they could check the issue with the PSM and FIA.

In another letter written to the FIA, the PNSA requested that the dealers from Lahore had received above mentioned notices on July 22, instructing them to appear before Inspector FIA Crime Circle Gulsher Mughera in Karachi on July 23 at 11 am.

However, it was not feasible for them to comply with the instructions on such short notices. Besides, the affected members had approached the PNSA with their concern on this state of affair. The PNSA, in its emergency meeting held on July 22, had decided that the office bearers of the association would appear before the FIA.

However, it would not be possible for it to appear before the FIA officer on July 23 on such a very short notice, adding that the office bearers would appear before FIA in the next 10 to 15 days.

Source: The News