Supreme Court withdraws order halting PIA privatisation

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court constitutional bench withdrew its order halting the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday.

The top court’s bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the plea concerning the national carrier’s privatisation.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general (AAG) informed the SC constitutional bench that the privatisation process had been initiated after the court previously granted permission to hire new professionals. However, recruitment had been stalled due to the privatisation plan.

In his arguments before the apex court, the AAG also added that restrictions on the carrier’s flight operations have been lifted, allowing the airline to operate without constraints.

After a lower bid, the government is planning a second attempt for the privatisation of PIA as the restriction on flight operations in Europe is also lifted now, he added. In response to that Justice Aminuddin remarked that the bidding process could now potentially fetch higher rates.

Meanwhile, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail questioned whether the government might risk violating a previous Supreme Court order that required the privatisation process to be conducted transparently and with the court’s confidence.

The additional attorney general assured the court that an application had been filed to seek its confidence for the privatisation process. Justice Mandokhail advised the government to ensure the process is conducted efficiently and in good faith.