Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will take up on Thursday two suo-motu cases pertaining to irregularities in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and its proposed privatisation as well as two pending petitions against corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiencies in the affairs of the national carrier.

The cases will be heard by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

Along with the suo-motu cases, the court will also hear two pending petitions filed under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution in 2012 by the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, and the chairperson Benazir Income Support Progranmme (BISP), Marvi Memon, against corruption and mismanagement in the PIA.

Attorney General for Pakistan and top management of the national carrier will appear before the court on notice.

All the managing directors (MDs) of the national carrier, who have served during the past 10 years, will appear before the court on notice. PIA’s incumbent MD will submit the audited statements of accounts of last 10 years before the court today (Thursday). The suo motu case pertaining to the proposed privatisation of the national carrier will also be heard today.

Besides, another suo-motu action pertaining to conduct and dealings of PIA with its passengers will also be taken up today.

Federation of Pakistan, Defence Ministry and PIA chairman will submit their replies on matters concerning the national carrier’s proposed privatisation and alleged transfer of its routes to private carriers.

Earlier on March 1, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar had taken a suo motu notice of profitable routes allegedly being taken away from PIA and being given to private carriers, especially Air Blue, owned by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The CJP had also restrained the authorities from making fresh recruitment in PIA until further orders.

Soon after he assumed charge of the premiership, PM Abbasi made a public statement about the need for privatisation of the loss making enterprise, giving an impression that since he had stakes in the airlines business, therefore, he was raising an issue that apparently got settled with negotiations between the national airlines’ employees who went on strike against privatisation in 2015.

The present government had attempted to privatize part of the airline, including its management, but the plans were put on the backburner after opposition from other political parties and the airline’s staff.

According to a Reuters report, PIA was among 68 state-owned companies earmarked for privatisation in return for a $6.7 billion International Monetary Fund package that helped the government stave off a default in 2013, when it came to power.

Despite some initial success, the process stalled in 2016 after staff protests caused havoc with PIA operations and the government passed a law that effectively made it impossible to privatise the airline.

Published in Daily Times, April 12^th 2018.