Parliament's Joint Session to Debate on PIA's Privatization
Government expecting smooth sail of PIA bill today.
Dunya News Report (Humaira Sajid)
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s government decided to convene a joint session today, of the two houses of Parliament so as to determine not only the future of Pakistan International Airways but also set the tone for the two remaining years of this government’s tenure.
According to agenda, seven bills will be presented in the Joint Session for passage. These include Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Bill, 2016 that aims to set up the PIA as a public limited company.
However, early in March, the House in the Senate had rejected this bill which was introduced by Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid. Ultimately, the bill was referred to a joint session of the Parliament and it is expected that it will pass since the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) exercises an easy majority in the joint session.
The sources in the ruling party informed that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was already in contact with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, and the government is confident to have the PIA bill passed with little or no hindrance.
Other bills to be presented in the Joint Session include: Gas Theft Control and Recovery Bill, 2014, The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Anti-Honor Killing Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Privatization Commission (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.
The need for joint session arose as the government knows it cannot get Pakistan International Airline Corporation (PIAC) bill, 2015 passed from the Upper House with its existing strength (27 Senators).
“Government side is in consultation with other parties to summon joint session of parliament soon after the prorogation of current Senate session,” parliamentary representative told the media sources.
PML-N sources informed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to take all the opposition parties on board in the PIA restructuring plan and would fully address their concerns, besides giving them assurance that the airline would not be sold out. Later both the ruling coalition and opposition parties are expected to hold meetings to finalize their strategies for the Joint Sitting of the Parliament.
In the past, PIA privatization bill received severe opposition from the senate and bloody clashes also occurred between the police and PIA employees’ trade unions when the government announced its decision. The protest against the bill was launched on January 26; however it turned into a violent dispute when at least two PIA workers were shot dead in clashes with security forces outside the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
According to a Joint Action Committee (JAC) spokesperson, the strike proceeded because the government had not accepted the body’s four-point agenda.
PIA JAC’s four-point agenda was as follows:
- Government should immediately take back the bill passed on January 21 converting the national flag carrier into a public limited company.
- PIA’s employees are provided a chance to reform the airline. If the employees fail to do so, the government will have the freedom to do whatever it finds suitable.
- Privatization, in any form, whether it is in form of a strategic partner or selling of 36 per cent or 1 pc of the organization’s shares, is not acceptable to the employees.
- Government should immediately review the aviation policy and form a committee for this purpose comprising members from PIA employees’ JAC along with PIA experts Khusheed Anwar, Kamran Hasan and Salahuddin.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also approved the Compulsory Service Maintenance Act 1952 for Pakistan International Airlines. After the implementation of this Act, all unions of PIA were dissolved and the protests became illegal.
