Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are to repay Rs 177 billion to creditors, it was revealed on Wednesday during question hour. The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab told the house that in the past, extreme inefficiency and corruption plagued PIA and the airline was destroyed due to corruption and poor policy making. In the previous regimes the defected airplanes were grounded instead of being repaired, whereas their spare parts were used in other planes. Due to this PIA, which once had a fleet of 34 aeroplanes, was limited to only 9 aeroplanes.

He said that the incumbent government has provided Rs 16 billion bailout package to PIA and the airline has procured some planes on both dry and wet lease. Now PIA has a fleet of 38 aeroplanes. On the request of the minister, the chair referred the case regarding corruption in PIA to the committee.

Responding to a question, he said that that construction work at Gwadar Airport would commence soon. He said that some 4,380 hectors of land was procured for the project and a loan from China had been finalized. The Chinese president also offered aid instead of a loan and the issue would be soon settled down. The project was discussed in detail by the ECC. He said that budget was allocated for the Islam Kot runway which would be completed soon.

Shiekh Aftab said that bureaucrats did not like to work in Balochistan and many officers had refused to go there. The government had made a policy that stipulated that Grade 20 officers who hailed from Balochistan would work in the province for seven years, and Grade 21 officers from Baluchistan would perform their duty there for ten years, whereas officers from other provinces would work for five years in another province during their service. `

The state minister for CAAD Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary told the House that private schools in Islamabad were not allowed to increase their fees. Last year, some schools enhanced fees but Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) had taken immediate measures and prevented them from doing so. He said the prime minister had given clear instructions that school fees may not be raised without any solid reason.

He said that some 200,000 children were getting education in schools located at the federal capital and the government had prevented them not from increasing fees since 2015. He said that those departments which came under the local government act were transferred to Islamabad. However, CADD was looking after health, education and nine other departments. He told Senate that Islamabad would have three new hospitals soon and three present hospitals would be upgraded. He said that PTA kept a close eye on the performance of telecom cellular companies and action was taken if there any negligence was discovered in providing services to the consumers.