Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that the bidding process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the first state-owned entity in line for divestment under the policy framework, will take place on December 23. State-run media reported that the prime minister made the announcement during a meeting with all business figures and company representatives participating in the national carrier’s privatisation.
The remarks come as Islamabad presses ahead with a fresh attempt to privatise the national flag carrier, a key condition under Pakistan’s $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. During today’s meeting, the premier stressed that transparency and merit were the government’s foremost priorities, and the bidding will be shown live across the country. He said the privatisation process was progressing smoothly to restore PIA’s lost identity and align the national airline with modern requirements. “God willing, PIA will soon once again live up to its tradition of being ‘Great People to Fly With’,” he added.