Pakistan Steel Mills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In 1968 the Government of Pakistan decided that the Karachi Steel Project should be sponsored in the public sector, for which a separate Corporation, under the Companies Act, be formed. In pursuance of this decision, Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation Limited was incorporated as a private limited company to establish and run steel mills at Karachi. Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation concluded an agreement with V/o Tyaz Promexport of the USSR in January, 1969 for the preparation of a feasibility report for the establishment of a coastal-based integrated steel mill at Karachi. In January 1971 Pakistan and the USSR signed an agreement under which the latter agreed to provide techno-financial assistance for the construction of a coastal-based integrated steel mill at Karachi. The foundation stone of this vital and gigantic project was laid on 30th December, 1973 by the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan. The mammoth construction and erection work of an integrated steel mill, never experienced before in the country, was carried out by a consortium of Pakistani construction companies under the overall supervision of Soviet experts. Pakistan Steel not only had to construct the main production units, but also a host of infrastructure facilities involving unprecedented volumes of work and expertise. Component units of the steel mills numbering over twenty, and each a big enough factory in its own right, were commissioned as they were completed between 1981 to 1985, with the Coke Oven and Byproduct Plant coming on stream first and the Galvanizing Unit last. Commissioning of Blast Furnace No.1 on 14th August, 1981 marked Pakistan's entry into the elite club of iron and steel producing nations. The project was completed at a capital cost of Rs.24,700 million. The completion of the steel mill was formally launched by the then-President of Pakistan on 15th January, 1985. Pakistan Steel today is the country's largest industrial undertaking, having a production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of steel.
Contents |
[edit] Location and site
Pakistan Steel is located at a distance of 40 km Southeast of Karachi at Bin Qasim in close vicinity to Port Muhammad Bin Qasim. It was found to be an ecologically preferable location, alongside a tidal creek and having a wind direction away from the city of Karachi. Pakistan Steel is spread out over an area of 18,660 acres (about 29 square miles) including 10,390 acres for the main plant, 8070 acres for the township and 200 acres for the 110 MG water reservoir. In addition it has leasehold rights over an area of 7520 acres for the quarries of limestone and dolomite in the Makli and Jhimpir areas of Thatta district.
[edit] Social obligations
Pakistan Steel, besides its core activities, has done a lot in making the environment in and around Pakistan Steel green and beautiful through the addition of three unique projects: the Quaid-I-Azam Park, The Quaid-I-Azam Cricket Park and the Quaid-I-Azam Beach. The Quaid-I-Azam Park, which spreads out over an area of 45 acres, consists of a series of six interconnected lakes, lush green lawns and grassy terraces, colourful flower beds, fountains, life- size steel-made models of wild and marine animals, a jogging track, a bird sanctuary and mini-zoo, as well as a children's play and recreational ground and boating facilities. The other unique project, known as the Quaid-I-Azam Cricket Park, has been established amidst the picturesque surroundings of Steel Town, featuring sloping grassy terraces all around for spectators and four diagonally-located hillocks with seating arrangements to provide a panoramic view of the game. This is spread over an area of 32000 sq. meters and is equipped with all the necessary facilities, conforming to international standards. The third project, Quaid-I-Azam Beach, is being developed with the aim to provide a seaside recreational spot to the employees of Pakistan Steel, especially those residing at Steel Town and Gulshan-e-Hadeed. Pakistan Steel is also on its way to establish Quaid-I-Azam National Park over a vast area of 400 acres adjacent to Steel Town which shall be a tremendous contribution in the development of the environment.
[edit] Scandal
In 2007, a famous case went against his government when the Supreme court ruled that the selling of Pakistan Steel Mills to a group including Arif Habib, former client and friend of PM Shaukat Aziz, was not legal. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry who gave this ruling was suspended from his office by the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf by an advice from Shaukat Aziz.
