A startling claim that Pakistan Steel Mills was quietly offered to Russia dominated proceedings of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production, as lawmakers raised serious concerns over widespread theft, weak administration, and deepening mismanagement at the state-owned enterprise.

The meeting, chaired by Syed Hafeezuddin, reviewed a subcommittee report presented by Naz Baloch, who said conditions at Pakistan Steel Mills had sharply deteriorated. She told lawmakers that during the subcommittee’s visit, facilities at the Steel Mills hospital appeared to have been temporarily arranged for inspection and later removed, raising questions about transparency.

She further alleged that large-scale theft was continuing unchecked within the Mills and claimed that the facility had been offered to Russia nearly six months ago, warning that the situation had worsened since then.

Taking serious notice, the committee summoned the chief executive officer of Pakistan Steel Mills to appear before members and explain the reported theft, power-related disruptions, and the overall decline in operations.

Separately, officials from the Ministry of Industries and Production briefed the committee on their development portfolio for the current fiscal year. They said 10 development projects had been launched, five of which have been completed, with total estimated costs exceeding Rs20 billion.

For the ongoing fiscal year, more than Rs1.19 billion has been allocated for these projects. Of this amount, over Rs666 million has been released, while around Rs420 million has been spent so far. The ministry also proposed including 14 new projects in the upcoming Public Sector Development Programme.

Committee members expressed strong dissatisfaction over continued theft at the Steel Mills and questioned the ministry’s oversight. Members noted that officials accused of involvement in theft often return to service after obtaining court stay orders.

In response, the Steel Mills chief executive officer, who also serves as an additional secretary in the ministry, said action had been taken against individuals involved at senior levels. The committee chairman countered that despite repeated measures, theft had not been brought under control. He ruled that officials returning on court stay orders would not be allowed to participate in committee proceedings and urged the media to highlight the issue.

The committee also summoned the Defence Security Force, which is responsible for security at the Steel Mills, to explain ongoing security lapses. Members were informed that scrap dealers were often aware of those involved in theft, pointing to serious enforcement failures.

The matter will be taken up again in the committee’s next meeting after hearing detailed explanations from security authorities and the Steel Mills management.