ISLAMABAD: The PPP and other opposition parties rejected on Monday the presidential ordinance — issued to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) — alleging that the PML-N government had bypassed parliament because they had already decided to sell the national flag carrier to a wealthy family from the Gulf.

Saleem Mandviwalla, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, warned in a statement issued on Monday that the opposition parties would hold protests at all airports in the country if PIA was privatised through an ordinance.

“The motive behind the ordinance is to sell PIA to the sheikhs of Abu Dhabi,” he said, alleging that the deal had been brokered by Chaudhry Muneer, a relative of PM Nawaz Sharif and his assistant on aviation, Shujaat Azeem.

Take a look: PIAC converted into company

“Why did the government not seek approval for PIA’s privatisation with due diligence from the Senate and the NA before making a decision to sell its assets and promulgate an ordinance which is unconstitutional,” he asked.

Senator Mandviwalla said the Supreme Court had already questioned Mr Azeem’s appointment as PM’s special assistant on aviation and ordered his removal. He demanded that the apex court take suo motu notice of the privatisation plan and issue a stay order against it.

Khawar Ghumman adds: Meanwhile, in the National Assembly, leader of opposition Syed Khursheed Shah launched a near 30-minute tirade against the government for “behaving like rulers who have absolutely no concern for the masses”.

He repeatedly asked the government to explain the rationale behind issuing the ordinance over the weekend, at a time when the session of the National Assembly had already been convened by the president. “I take it as the blatant humiliation of the representatives of the 200 million people, who we represent here in the house,” he said.

But he wasn’t alone.

PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the promulgation of the ordinance was apparently meant to prepare the ground for the sale of PIA. “Firstly, the government should have created a consensus for this, and secondly, [I don’t think that] in its current state, the privatisation of the national carrier will fetch a good price.”

PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, although a member of the treasury benches, also expressed reservations over the unnecessarily hasty manner in which the ordinance was promulgated. “Certainly, such measures tend to be taken with a pinch of salt and the opposition benches have rightly underlined their concerns,” he said.

He proposed that a joint committee, consisting of members from both sides of the aisle, should be set up to resolve the controversy; an idea that was supported by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Coming to the government’s defence, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar claimed the ordinance was only meant to make PIA a corporate entity, allowing it independence and autonomy so that it could be run at par with international airlines. As a corporation, the minister explained, joint secretary-level officials could create lots of problems in its smooth functioning.

“I am saying it on the floor of the house, there is absolutely no difference in the overall service structure of PIA employees or its assets and liabilities. Whenever it is privatised, it will be done in consultation with other political parties.”

But the minister couldn’t explain why the government had to promulgate the ordinance in such a hurry. He only said that time was of the essence and that if a decision had been taken with good intentions, nobody should fault it.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2015