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The Supreme Court on Friday ordered all managing directors (MD) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) who have served in the past ten years to appear before the court on April 12.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing a suo motu case concerning the proposed privatisation of the national carrier.
The CJP also directed the incumbent PIA MD to submit audited statements of accounts before the court in the next hearing.
Last week, the court had taken notice of profitable routes allegedly being taken away from PIA and being given to private carriers, especially Air Blue. It had also restrained the authorities from making fresh recruitment in PIA until further orders.
The Ministry of Defence, chairman PIA and the Federation of Pakistan are yet to submit their replies on both matters.
Since Shahid Khaqan Abbasi replaced PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister last year, the federal government has shown renewed interest in privatisation of the PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills despite questions being raised over the timing of the move as the incumbent government is just months away from ending its five-year term.
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Comments (25) Closed
Apr 06, 2018 01:46pm
Good move by the SCP to sanitize PIA. It is strange that PIA has undertaken the change of logos on its planes at this time when its privatization is being contemplated? Is it not a very costly expenditure at the most inappropriate time? It should also be included by the CJP in his suo motu action.
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Apr 06, 2018 01:49pm
Very good. PIA is being sunk deliberately by politicians to promote Air Blue.
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Apr 06, 2018 01:54pm
Very right as SC is constitutionally bound to manage PIA..... Great move as it will make availability of justice quicker and affective as SC is last hope for Justice for people of Pakistan
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Apr 06, 2018 01:56pm
Good job CJ.
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Apr 06, 2018 01:58pm
Good decision. CJP sb good work.
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Apr 06, 2018 02:02pm
PIA is a burden on every citizen of the motherland. The only beneficiaries are the employees who are surviving on the blood of the every other citizen. It must be partially privatized and a model similar to other successful airlines in the world should be followed. Recruiting foreign cabin crew who speak many other languages is needed.
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Apr 06, 2018 02:04pm
Dear CJP , please ask Mr. Khaqan Abbasi why his own airline Air blue is making profits and PIA is making continues losses and why profitable routes are being given to Air blue only?? Thanks
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Apr 06, 2018 02:29pm
What about the MD who sold the PIA Plane and was granted permission to leave the country without being asked why he was able to sell the plane and who had authorized the same?
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Apr 06, 2018 02:35pm
If PIA unable to generate revenue for the last many years, then it will require restructuring. I don't see any justification for CJP to interfere in privatisation of a company that is reporting continuous losses. Shareholders normally have better strategies in reforming company structure. Good luck PIA and hope smart decision prevail.
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Apr 06, 2018 02:40pm
Why not PIA account statements for the past 20 years including Dictatorship era.
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Apr 06, 2018 02:58pm
How about asking each one of them as to the number of employees they inherited from their predecessors and the number which they left for their successors?
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Apr 06, 2018 03:41pm
Honorable CJ, you are on right track Sir. Majority of our serving politicians are corrupt and cannot be trusted. Current government has economically dragged down Pakistan to collapse. Stiff actions are needed to protect our country.
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Apr 06, 2018 03:59pm
@SkyHawk I think all Pakistani know the answer and CJ needs not to ask to PM. We know the problem with PIA is overstaffing and political interference but thanks to any opposition party of the time any effort to address this issue is always stalled. In a country where government job means to get money without doing anything the only workable way forward is to privatize and government just work as a regulator and arbitrator.
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Apr 06, 2018 04:11pm
The SC should bring law to ban businessmen holding government job or getting elected to senate or national assembly seat.
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Apr 06, 2018 04:15pm
It seems this time there is a hope to clean the mess created by all government in the past.
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Apr 06, 2018 04:46pm
CJP is requested to take everyone on task and punish, whosoever was involved destroying PIA and making their own airline.
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Apr 06, 2018 04:47pm
Same for Pakistan Steel Mills Karachi.
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Apr 06, 2018 05:02pm
A wise move by CJP . Audit reports must be reviewed. Conflict of interest is everywhere in this country.
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Apr 06, 2018 05:09pm
Great going
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Apr 06, 2018 05:19pm
Excellent move by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Keep it up and hang on tough.
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Apr 06, 2018 05:42pm
Very good move from CJP. How come Abasi airline is flying with profit but our national airline is in duldrum?
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Apr 06, 2018 05:55pm
That is going to be very interesting! But personally... public sector cannot compete with cutthroat private sector.
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Apr 06, 2018 06:20pm
@Nomi Goraya it's because people like you this country is going to dogs. Read this "profitable routes allegedly being taken away from PIA and being given to private carriers, especially Air Blue". This country is deliberately being ruined to just benefit few of this politicians and touts like you have no good to do than posting these useless comments
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Apr 06, 2018 07:10pm
I wonder what will come out of the audited report? Long live CJP. Long Live Pakistan
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Apr 06, 2018 07:20pm
PIA can be made profitable again if there is a will at the government level. Governments have been using this national asset to employ their political workers without regard to merit. Great that CJP is taking notice of this situation.
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