Nationalisation of Northern Rock In October 2008 the chairman Ron Sandler noted that there had been informal talks concerning the idea of the merger with the government, but there had been no subsequent discussion. Sandler did however add "It would not surprise me at some point if a closer look was taken at the method of managing loan books within government-owned banks". In March 2009 Alistair Darling said that he was keeping his options open during the "fast-moving" crisis in the banking industry, and thus not ruling out the possibility of a mortgage book merger between Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley. On 24
Nationalisation in Pakistan shipping companies were merged with Pakistan National Shipping Corporation by Bhutto's nationalisation programme; those who protested were imprisoned by the government. At an international level, the United States fully opposed the nationalisation programme and marked it as "ill-considered" decision of the government. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, an affectee of nationalisation process, gave vehement criticism and cited nationalisation programme as "lamentable state of Pakistan". While on the other hand, the unnamed and anonymous United States embassy officer later further noted that: The Pakistan Peoples Party's intellectuals on the other hand, vigorously defended the nationalisation programme. The Peoples Party maintained that