Arif Habib, chairman of the investment firm that acquired a controlling stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has said the airline’s privatisation will lead to job creation rather than layoffs, as the new owners plan to expand its operations.
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Speaking on DawnNewsTV’s programme Doosra Rukh, Habib addressed concerns raised by PIA employees who have expressed reservations and staged protests over job security following the airline’s privatisation. He said the current workforce size was “reasonable” and emphasised that business expansion would require additional staff in the future.
According to Habib, the key challenge for the airline would not be headcount but improving quality and performance. He noted that many PIA employees were highly competent and that Pakistanis, when given confidence and the right platform, were capable of running complex organisations effectively.
Referring to PIA’s history, Habib said the airline once ranked as the world’s second-best carrier and played a significant role in the early development of major international airlines, including Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Malta Airlines. “These are the same people who made PIA great,” he said, adding that the airline’s revival depended on empowering its workforce.
The Arif Habib Group-led consortium won the auction for a controlling stake in PIA last week with a bid of Rs135 billion, marking Pakistan’s first major privatisation in nearly 20 years. A day after the sale, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali told Reuters that all PIA employees must be retained for at least 12 months after the transaction, with no changes to their contracts.
Read More: Arif Habib Group acquires PIA for PKR 135 billion
Habib also confirmed that Fauji Fertiliser Company, which had initially withdrawn from the bidding process, later joined his consortium as a shareholder. He said discussions were under way to finalise the partnership’s terms.
Additionally, Habib disclosed that he had met Chief of Defence Forces and Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir twice before the privatisation, during meetings that included other business leaders, where the importance of local investment in PIA was stressed.