Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed full transparency and merit in the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines.
According to details surfaced, the prime minister held a session with business figures who took part in the PIA privatisation process. He told the participants that the entire bid round for the airline would appear live on television across the country on December 23. He said the government aimed to conclude the process in order to restore the national carrier’s past stature.
The prime minister said the government sought the revival of PIA’s lost identity and continued its efforts for a complete and open transfer of control. He expressed confidence that the eventual custodian of the airline would devote full energy to its improvement. He added that the revival of PIA routes across the world would ease travel for overseas Pakistanis, while the modernisation of the carrier remained vital for the growth of the tourism sector.
PM Shehbaz said the government would uphold transparency and merit at every stage of the PIA sale. He added that, God willing, the airline would again reflect its old tradition as “Great People to Fly With”. The participants praised the professional and transparent method adopted by the government for the PIA privatisation process.
