PIA not being privatised, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan held out an assurance to the Senate Tuesday that the PIA would not be privatised by the incumbent government, as the sell-off process was not possible in few months before the government term ends.

He said this while making a policy statement at the House about the national flag-carrier and remarked, “Let the management and staff of PIA work for a turnaround of PIA and bringing it out of losses. Do not talk or think of privatisation at this stage.”

Some senators had criticised the government for reported privatisation of the national airline and Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani also referred to the recent remarks made by Privatisation Minister Danyal Aziz offering anybody interested to bring money and buy PIA.

The chairman Senate pointed out that the remarks caused an air of frustration and uncertainty among the PIA employees. To this, the adviser said, “I do not see any process of privatisation at all. We have not moved an inch on it.”