The federal government and opposition parties on Wednesday reached an agreement, effectively killing the plan regarding the privatisation of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The government has assured that while a strategic partner may be brought in, the government will retain management control; hence, no privatisation will be carried out.
The decision was announced by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Asad Umar on the social website twitter.
The agreement was reached during an extraordinary session of a bipartisan parliamentary committee recently formed by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. The meeting was chaired by Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid.
During the meeting, PPP’s Senator Saeed Ghani and Law Minister Zahid Hamid exchanged harsh words. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was invited to the committee to resolve the deadlock and the meeting was adjourned for half an hour.
The deadlock broke when Finance Minister Ishaq Dar agreed to include amendments put forth by the joint opposition that no PIA worker would be laid off while the government would also keep administrative control of the PIA.
It was agreed during the meeting that the government will sell 49% shares of the PIA to a strategic partner who will bring in investments while the remaining 51% shares will remain with the government. Dar also assured that the administrational control of the institution will not be handed over to the shareholders.
The management of PIA will remain with the Board of Governors. However, the representation within the Board of Governors will be given in accordance with the percentage of shares. The meeting decided that converting the PIA into a limited company will have no impact on the salaries and pensions of the PIA employees and that the assets of the institution will also not be sold.
The meeting was informed that the main purpose of converting PIA into a limited company is to attract strategic partners. The committee will present its report before the Parliament on Thursday. Voting on the bill will be conducted on April 11 at the joint session of both houses of the parliament.
The opposition members demanded that the cases registered against the protesting PIA employees should also be taken back. Federal Finance Minster Ishaq Dar, however, responded that taking the cases against the protesting workers back is not within the purview of the parliamentary committee. However, he said, the government is willing to discuss the matter.
The committee also agreed on three private members’ bills while it decided to continue proceedings on the remaining bills.
Five of my comments were rejected yesterdy and I had promised not to comment anymore. Lekin aadat se majboor hun. So far as what has been agreed between the parties is like " Jithe di khoti uthe hi aan khaloti" ( even if I don't know much Punjabi). That much of fuss about un-professional and 'parchi employees' ( mostly PPP's), and now they want to retain them ALL. Even a former profit-earning MD of PIA, Mr Abbasi, had said that the mess in the National Airlines is due to burden of Pay-roll of non-professional and unproductive employees. It is not yet clear – Oont kis karwar baith raha hai !
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