Govt. finds buyer for scrap, helicopters, but with a stringent condition
Helicopters are scrap in real sense; each penny counts so they should be sold to highest bidders.
(Web Desk) – Although it has been highly debated that age-old helicopters, four in number, of Prime Minister are no more than trash or scrap and no one would buy them, the reality is government has found buyers. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Naeem-ul-Haq had announced, some weeks ago, that four helicopters and eight buffaloes of precious breed will be auctioned soon. Their auction is the part of the austerity drive initiated by PM Imran Khan. In this regard, the advertisement will soon be aired on state-run TV channel PTV.
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Luckily, the government received an offer from a Pakistani who deals in AgustaWestland helicopters. The man has offered the federal government to buy the choppers in whatever condition they are in and has set a condition for this.
Concerning helicopters, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry said that those helicopters would be given to a charity organization so that they could be used for welfare activities. Factually speaking, the charity institution has rejected taking them and using them for the said purpose. It has indeed demanded Rs12 billion as grant from the government instead.
Well, now it is quite evident that they are no more than scrap in real sense; resultantly, auction is the last resort. Also each penny counts so they should be sold to higesht bidder. Luckily, the government received an offer from a Pakistani who deals in AgustaWestland helicopters. The man has offered the federal government to buy the choppers in whatever condition they are in and has set a condition for this.
According to sources, he wants government to buy a brand new chopper and deduce the value of these decade-old helicopters from the total price of the new one.
Now keeping in view the prevailing trends and the value of the helicopters, this offer is not bad either. But the problem is that the law of the land does not allow the government to become part of any deal where transaction is done in something else than cash. Pakistan laws require the government to buy things in real money rather in any barter-like transaction.
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Therefore, the person has been asked to buy the choppers and keep the “buying of new chopper” condition aside. With this, he does not seem to be fascinated in buying them. Keeping everything aside, the government does have this option and might get many more once entries are called for auction.
Source Roznama Dunya
Edited and translated by Junaid Ali Malik
