Government under attack on Pakistan Airlines privatization, Defense Minister blames bureaucracy!

The reins of Pakistan International Airlines will now be in private hands. The decision has been taken and there is a lot of opposition to it. Meanwhile, what Defense Minister and country’s Aviation Chief Khawaja Asif has said shows his lack of confidence in the decision. At the same time, two representatives of the government have also advised the public to avoid rumours.

Asif said in Geo News show on Wednesday that the bureaucracy is responsible for whatever decline is being seen in the public sector and they should be held accountable. While sharing his pain he also said that it hurts when politicians are held responsible for this.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who also heads the country’s aviation sector, blamed bureaucracy for the decline of the public sector and lamented that politicians are often blamed for it.

Defense Minister Asif also vented his anger on the basis of the statement of former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Khan had claimed that the pilots had fake or dubious licenses.

A press conference was held on Wednesday itself after all-round chaos. Rejecting criticism over the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines, Prime Minister’s Privatization Advisor Muhammad Ali said the move does not hurt national pride.

Addressing a joint press conference with Union Information Minister Atta Tarar, Muhammad Ali said claims circulating on social media that the airline has been sold for less than its aircraft were worth are false and misleading.

The comments come after the successful privatization bid of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a day earlier, in which Arif Habib Corporation-led consortium emerged as the top bidder by bidding Rs 135 billion for a 75 per cent stake in the national carrier.

Pakistan, which is facing financial crisis, on Tuesday sold 75 percent stake in PIA. Just 2 days before the deadline, Fauji Fertilizer Private Limited, an army-linked fertilizer company, withdrew its name from the bidding, leaving only 3 contenders in the race.

The biggest reason behind selling airlines is the IMF’s whip. Pakistan needs a loan of 7 billion dollars from IMF. In return, IMF wants Pakistan to privatize loss-making government companies. According to this condition, Pakistan is privatizing its 24 government companies. PIA is also a part of this.

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