Federal Minister for Privatization Open to Provincial Governments Purchasing PIA

Lahore: Federal Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan stated that the federal government has no objections to any provincial government purchasing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Khan emphasized that a framework for PIA’s privatization was already established before he took office, and the airline was facing a staggering loss of 830 billion PKR. He asserted that his responsibility lies not in reviving PIA but in facilitating its sale.
Khan urged those responsible for PIA’s decline to reflect on their actions, pointing out that various political parties have contributed to the airline’s troubles over the years, each to differing extents. He further expressed that if the governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, or Balochistan wish to buy shares of PIA, the federal government would not object, suggesting that collective ownership could potentially make PIA profitable.
This statement comes in light of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s proposal for the Punjab government to consider acquiring PIA, while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has also expressed interest in the airline’s purchase.