ISLAMABAD: A Senate sub-committee warned Tuesday that Pakistan Steel Mills' sprawling, largely unsecured grounds have left the state-run enterprise vulnerable to theft and land encroachment, as lawmakers pressed for urgent security upgrades and accountability from multiple government agencies.
The Sub-Committee on Industry and Production, chaired by Senator Masroor Ahsan, was told that the mill's roughly 1,000-acre site is largely open, with no boundary wall or perimeter fencing in place. Officials said this gap has significantly heightened security risks. Members also learned that underground tunnels have been used as routes for unauthorized entry and ordered them permanently sealed.
The security gaps came into focus as the committee reviewed the theft of 36 tons of goods from the facility. Police briefed the panel that a charge sheet has already been submitted in the case, but members voiced frustration over delays in recovering the stolen material and directed strict disciplinary action against any employees found involved, along with a ban on their entry to the premises. Officials disclosed that the case is not isolated, with several other theft cases at the mill currently moving through administrative and criminal proceedings.
Compounding the security concerns, the committee was informed that Defence Security Force personnel guarding the mill may soon be withdrawn at the Ministry of Defence's request. The Ministry of Industry said it is negotiating a phased pullout, but lawmakers questioned how the facility would protect machinery worth billions of rupees given what they described as an existing shortage of security staff.
A proposal to hire additional administrative, accounts and security personnel is under review, and the committee ordered mill management to justify the specific staffing numbers it is requesting. A Ministry of Finance representative was directed to attend the next session.
The panel also recommended installing modern surveillance cameras across the site and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to wrap up a long-pending inquiry into a related recovery case.
Beyond theft, the committee turned to encroachment on the mill's land, expressing alarm that a recent anti-encroachment drive had been abandoned in the face of resistance from occupants. It summoned the deputy commissioner of Malir and Sindh's interior secretary to the next meeting and demanded effective action to clear the land.
Calling the mill's holdings "national assets," the sub-committee urged coordinated action across government institutions to safeguard the property, and directed that Pakistan Steel Mills' 2025-26 audit report be presented within one week.
