Air Punjab?: Maryam Nawaz advises Nawaz Sharif to acquire PIA

LONDON: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz advised her father and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif to buy the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and rebrand it ‘Air Punjab’, ARY News reported.

In a statement issued here, Nawaz Sharif said, “Maryam sought advice from me, asking if we should take over the PIA and make it a brand new airline,” The PML-N president said that Maryam Nawaz suggested giving a ‘brand new airline’ to Pakistan named ‘Air Punjab’.

Nawaz Sharif said that he asked the Punjab Chief Minister to discuss the proposal with others as well. “The rebranded airline could connect major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta directly to New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong,” Nawaz Sharif.

“I think matters related to PIA are being discussed.”

Nawaz Sharif also expressed disappointment over the current state of PIA, saying that certain individuals have contributed to its downfall. “Unfortunately, those who ruined PIA are among us,” he added.

Nawaz Sharif specifically mentioned a person who was a minister during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and added that the then minister accused PIA pilots of holding fake licenses.

“Although those were baseless accusations, but I question whether the issue should be discussed publicly or not?,” the PML-N president stated.

Nawaz Sharif’s statement came a day after the Khyber Pakhtunkwa government expressed interest in participating in the privatisation bid for PIA.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Investment Board on November 1 wrote to Federal Minister for Privatisation Abdul Aleem Khan, expressing its intention to submit a bid.

The letter was written on directives of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and read that the PIA is a national asset of immense importance. “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is willing to offer a better deal than the Blue World City,” the letter read.

The Privatisation Ministry announced on Thursday that only one bid of Rs 10 billion for a 60% share in the national flag carrier had been received during the final bidding process for the PIA privatisation.

Only the real estate company Blue World City entered the bidding process, submitting an offer that was less than the government-imposed minimum price of Rs 85 billion, despite the government having pre-qualified six companies in June.