Senate adopts report on sale of PIA Airbus, demands German embassy’s involvement

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday adopted the special committee report on PIA to probe into the circumstances under which a PIA Airbus 310 was allegedly sold to a German firm, who played what role and how the former CEO, a German national, was allowed to leave the country despite his name being on the ECL.

A sub-committee headed by Senator Farhatullah Babar and including Senator Nauman Wazir and Tahir Hussain Mashadi had been formed to probe the matter.

The report said that the sale of the Airbus was unauthorized, there were glaringly obvious flaws in the tendering process, the normal procedure was bypassed and it was sold at a very low price. The blame could not be laid on the shoulders of just two persons and the culpability was much wider.

The report also called for diligently pursuing Enquiry/Investigations by NAB to which it has already been referred and also that the Senate secretariat is kept informed regularly of the progress on the matter.

After the Senate took notice, the aircrafts sale had been stopped and a much higher price was negotiated.

The report further said that the former CEO be brought back to Pakistan and the FO should take up the matter with the German embassy in Islamabad on whose guarantee and commitment the permission was given.