PIA’s plight

Published November 23, 2017

THE National Assembly was recently informed that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suffered losses amounting to Rs146bn over the past four years. This was not surprising as PIA has been a continuous liability for the government, which is now planning to sell PIA’s foreign assets to clear its debt. PIA owns Roosvelt Hotel in New York and Hotel Scribe in Paris.

It has recently received a huge bailout package to meet its expenses. Overstaffing, poor management and disservice to customers have become a hallmark of PIA, which was once known for its efficient service. How long will the government sustain such a loss-making organisation? How long will the people’s tax money be spent to make this loss-making organisation running?

It’s time the government came up with a final solution to this loss-making entity. Privatisation or leasing out options should be considered.

M. Sayyad Alam Khan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017

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