Committee formed 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 the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The prime minister chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the matters pertaining to the PIA, according to the PM Office.

The committee, headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, will present its proposals and recommendations to the federal cabinet after Eidul Adha, the official news agency said.

The committee would also comprise Railways and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to the PM Jahanzeb Khan and secretary aviation.

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

The aviation minister briefed the prime minister on 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 was of the view 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 27 to 49 to steer the airline out of the crisis.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said the PIA had lost the Europe and US routes owing to irresponsible statements by the previous government, inflicting losses 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 its role would be confined to policy-making, and facilitation of investors, businessmen and companies.

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