75% of PIA Shares to Be Auctioned; New Owners Barred from Changing Airline’s Name and Theme

**Islamabad:** Four companies have qualified for the bidding process to acquire **75% of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) shares**, as the federal government moves ahead with the national flag carrier’s privatization. A key condition has been imposed that the airline’s **name and theme will not be changed** after privatization.

A high-level meeting on PIA affairs was chaired by **Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif**, who directed that all stages of the privatization process be completed with **speed and transparency**. He further instructed authorities to finalize a strategy to increase the number of operational aircraft and ensure timely flight departures.

Officials briefed the meeting that four parties have been **pre-qualified** and the auction will be held soon. Under the business plan, PIA’s fleet of **18 operational aircraft** will be expanded to **38 by 2029**.

It was also disclosed that PIA currently operates flights to **over 30 cities**, and by 2029, its network is expected to expand to **more than 40 destinations**.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Adviser on Privatization Muhammad Ali, and senior government officials.