Court seeks explanation for privatisation process

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the petitioner-lawyer to apprise it of the process of privatisation of a government institution. The Lahore High Court Justice Shahid Mobeen was hearing a petition challenging proposed privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines. Advocate Nabeel Javed Kahloon had filed the petition alleging that the government had decided to privatise the national carrier and was going to sell it to a company of own choice. He alleged that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who also owned a private airline in the country had vested interests in the privatisation of the PIA. Referring to previously sold institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills and PTCL, he argued that the privatisation of the government owned institutions had caused a great loss to the country. He prayed to the court to restrain the federal government from selling the PIA. Justice Shahid Mobeen adjourned further hearing until January 25 and asked the lawyer to apprise of the process of the privatisation.