ISLAMABAD (APP) – Caretaker Privatisation Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad on Saturday said that all the legal formalities had been completed for the privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Talking to a private news channel, the minister outlined various stages of the process for PIA’s privatisation, and said that the Privatisation Commission was diligently executing the task.
Fawad said that in order to ensure transparency in PIA’s privatisation, the representatives of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), besides the ministries of education, law and finance had also been taken on board.
Fawad said the caretaker government was carrying out the privatisation under the constitutional amendments enacted by the previous elected government. The decision to this effect was taken by the then government to prevent further deterioration of the economy, he added.
The minister rejected rumours of negotiations about buying of the PIA by a foreign government, saying such baseless allegations were being levelled by certain elements for their vested interests.
To a question, Fawad said that the caretaker federal cabinet would ensure that no employee of the PIA was unjustly deprived of their legitimate rights. He said the problems were being faced by the national airline due to governance issues, financial mismanagement and appointment of individuals ill-equipped to manage the aviation industry.
He underscored the urgent need for reforms to prevent further deterioration of public institutions, including the PIA.
To a query, the minister said the general elections would be held on the scheduled date of February 8 and the caretaker government was extending full support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the polls.