Shaukat Aziz - Controversies and Criticism

Controversies and Criticism

Main article: Shaukat Aziz v. Supreme Court of Pakistan See also: Shaukat Aziz, Privatization programme v. Supreme Court of Pakistan

In spite of supervising and presiding the successful economical growth at an unprecedent level, his privatization and energy policies remains extremely controversial in public circles. Critics argued that Aziz's privatization policies and privatized energy sector did not fully tackle with full force in country's economy. Although the current, Peoples Party's government is blamed for incompetence, but it is revealed that it is Shaukat Aziz's failure to unable to developed the necessary energy infrastructure on time. His privatization policies had completely downsized and diminished the public sector and the legacy of the nationalization policy of Benazir Bhutto in 1990s, though Aziz defended as he points out that his policies made these institutions viable while they were on the verge of collapse.

An unsuccessful attempt to privatize the Pakistan Steel Mills was also thwarted by trade unions and pro-nationalization elements who took the case to Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006. The Pakistan Steel Mills which was established by former Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with Soviet Union on his side, in 1970s remains under public sector's control since its establishment in 1970s. The Supreme Court halted the Steel Mills after transferring the inquiry from FIA to NAB, while issued standing orders to keep the Steel Mills under the nationalization programme. The proceedings and Supreme Court's decision initially stopped Aziz's intensified and aggressive privatization programme on halt at the end weeks of his tenure.

Both Musharraf and Aziz were best of the worst leader of Pakistan. (...)... Aziz was obsessed with empty growth figures and how many people are buying cars, houses, fridges and cellphones. Beyond Gwadar port, Aziz did nothing for electricity generation which the steel mills are depended upon... (....). —Azem Khurshid, Lahore Steel Mills owner, source