LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to the caretaker federal government and other authorities regarding a petition challenging the propo­sed privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh observed that the petition raised questions of public importance involving constitutional law. Therefore, he issued a notice to the At­­torney General for Pakis­tan for assistance in the matter.

Advocate Nabeel Javed Kahloon, the petitioner in person, referred to a judgement in the case of “KESC Labour Union and others versus Federation of Pakistan (2023 CLD 718)”, and stated that the privatisation of PIA was a matter of public interest.

He argued that the caretaker government had no jurisdiction to engage in the privatisation of PIA, considering its limited scope and authority recognised by the Supreme Court in the case of Khawaja Muhammad Asif versus Federation of Pakistan and others (2013 SCMR 1205).

The lawyer maintained that the caretaker government had the mandate to run daily affairs only, therefore, it cannot make decisions on policy matters.

He pointed out that the caretaker government had taken steps for the privatisation of PIA, which, in his view, exceeded the ambit and scope of the provisions of the Pakistan International Air­line Corporation (Conver­sion) Act, 2016.

The petitioner requested the court to issue an order res­­training the caretaker go­­ve­r­nment from privatising PIA.

An assistant attorney general appeared on the court’s call and received notices on behalf of the respondents.

Justice Sheikh instructed the law officer to submit replies on behalf of the respondents by Nov 30.

Previously, the judge had dismissed the petition for non-prosecution.

Later, the lawyer filed an application for the restoration of his petition, which the court allowed.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2023