PM forms high-level committee for PIA’s restructuring, revival

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to work out the restructuring, reformation and revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), ARY News reported.

PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the matters pertaining to the PIA. Under the leadership of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the committee would present its proposals and recommendations to the federal cabinet after Eid-ul-Azha.

The committee would comprise Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Railway and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to PM Jahanzeb Khan and federal secretary of Aviation.

The body would deliberate on different options for the restructuring and revival of the PIA.

The aviation minister briefed the prime minister about the proposed route map and reformative measures for the uplift of the national flag carrier.

The prime minister appreciated the efforts of the minister for the PIA’s revival.

He viewed that the PIA had the capacity to overcome the losses.

The meeting was told that the number of planes in the PIA fleet would have to be increased from current 27 to 49, in order to steer the airline out of the crisis.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the PIA had lost the Europe and US routes owing to irresponsible statements by the previous government, inflicting the loss of billions of rupees.

He recalled that the incompetent ministers of the previous government had victimised international investors, Chinese firms and Turkish businessmen.

Calling the reformation process inevitable, the prime minister told the meeting that the PIA could only progress if run by professional and administrative experts purely on a profit-and-loss basis.

The prime minister said the government was heading toward a policy mechanism in which the government’s role would be confined to the policy-making, and facilitation of investors, businessmen and companies.

Federal ministers Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Advisor Ahad Cheema and relevant authorities attended the meeting. Federal ministers Syed Naveed Qamar, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, SAPM Jahanzeb Khan and others joined via video link.