PC SPOKESMAN REFUTES GEO TV REPORT ON CCOP & PTCL

Islamabad, November 21, 2005

A spokesman for Privatisation Commission has completely refuted a news item telecast by GEO TV News Network regarding a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Privatisation and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), in a statement issued here today.

The spokesman said that a meeting of Privatisation Commission to be chaired by Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment would be held to morrow i.e. Tuesday November 22, 2005 to formulate its recommendations regarding various upcoming transactions for the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation. No CCOP meeting is taking place tomorrow as quoted by the private news channel, he added.

The privatisation Commission has also refuted the reported payment arrangement for PTCL by the said channel and has termed it as misleading, concocted and baseless.