The deployment of troops and police officers follows the government's announcement on Saturday that bids would be invited to invest in 26 percent of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. (PTCL) on June 18.

The government had earlier postponed the privatisation of the country's largest telecoms company to end a 10-day standoff with 55,000 PTCL workers.

Military officials said security forces had taken control of key PTCL installations in major cities while police and paramilitary rangers were posted to check on the law and order situation.

"We have sent our experts from the Corps of Signals on the request of the PTCL authorities to take control of all important installations," said military spokesman Colonel Idrees Malik.

Witnesses said troops arriving in machine-gun fitted vehicles took control of telephone exchanges and vital installations in major cities of the populous Punjab province.

"We have asked the staff to perform their duties as usual," an army officer in the central city of Multan said.

"However we would not let them switch off or discontinue the telecom system in any case."

Union leaders have threatened to paralyse the service if the decision is not withdrawn by Wednesday.

"We'll continue our protest and go on strike on June 15 if the authorities stick to their plan," a union leader Shahid Ayub, said in Karachi.

However the government has refused to back down.

"The decision to privatise PTCL is irreversible and those who try to damage national assets will be dealt with severely," said Communications Minister Awais Leghari.

He unveiled an employees welfare package, ensuring job security, education of the employees' children, health coverage as well as a 30 percent wage increase.

The country's privatisation commission has already short-listed several foreign telecoms conglomerates as potential buyers. They include Singapore Telecom (SingTel), Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (Etisalat), Telekom Malaysia, MTC of Kuwait, Saudi Oger, Turkcell, China Mobile Communication Corp. and Saudi Telecommunications Co.

The unions are demanding PTCL continues to employ 4,800 workers who are paid their wages on a daily basis and that the company also provides job quotas for their children.

A PTCL employees action committee said about 150 had been detained in the police crackdown against union leaders and workers across the country.

"Some 150 union leaders have been arrested from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi and other cities," committee member, Saif-uddin Qureshi, said.

Police rounded up dozens of leaders in Lahore, said union worker Ghulam Mohyuddin.

Lahore police officer Imran Ahmad confirmed the detention but did not figures.

"We will not allow any worker or office bearer to cause any damage to the sensitive installations," he told AFP.

Another officer Saghir Ahmad said police teams were conducting raids on Sunday but "most of the office bearers have gone underground."

PTCL accounts for about 15 percent of the weighted-average index of 100 shares on the Karachi Stock Exchange.

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