Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to accelerate and complete all stages of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) privatisation with full transparency and devise a clear strategy to increase the number of airworthy aircraft in national carrier’s fleet and to ensure the timely departure of all flights.
The prime minister chaired a high-level meeting at the PM House to review key matters related to the PIA and emphasised that improving operational efficiency must remain a top priority.
The officials briefed the meeting on the ongoing privatisation process and the accompanying business plan. It was informed that four parties have been pre-qualified for PIA’s privatisation, and the bidding phase would commence soon. The government plans to privatise 75% of PIA’s shares, while maintaining strict conditions that the airline’s name and branding will not be altered post-privatisation.
The meeting was further informed that, under the business plan, the number of airworthy aircraft in PIA’s fleet will be increased from 18 to 38 by 2029. Currently serving over 30 cities, PIA aims to expand its service network to more than 40 destinations by 2029.
The session was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali, and senior government officials.
