Supreme Court Rescinds Order to Halt PIA Privatization, Case Disposed Of

Islamabad: The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench has withdrawn its previous order to stop the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and disposed of the case.
During the hearing, the Additional Attorney General stated that the Supreme Court had previously allowed PIA’s management to hire new professionals, but due to the privatization process, no new recruitments had been made. He further informed the court that the privatization commission would soon be re-established, and the ban on PIA’s flight operations had been lifted.
Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, who led the bench, remarked that the privatization process might yield better results this time, with possibly higher bids.
Justice Jamal Mandokhel questioned whether the government, by proceeding with privatization, was violating the Supreme Court’s order. The court had earlier directed that any privatization should be carried out in consultation with the judiciary.
The Additional Attorney General clarified that a request had been made to the court for approval, and Justice Mandokhel responded by expressing the court’s confidence in the process, urging that privatization be carried out in a transparent and professional manner.