Bilawal Bhutto Zardari opposes PIA privatisation
The government's privatisation panel has set a deadline of May 3 to receive statements of interest in PIA.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has opposed the privatisation of loss-making national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Instead, the PPP Chairman proposed to operate the national carrier under a public-private partnership.
“Finance minister approves of public-private partnership; we urge him not to privatise PIA and revive it under public-private partnership,” Bilawal said while speaking at an event on the occasion of Labour Day in Karachi on Wednesday.
Explaining the ownership of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) land by the Sindh government, Bilawal said, “If the government cannot revive the Steel Mill, it should hand it over to the Sindh government, and we will run it under a public-private partnership.”
The government’s privatisation panel has set a deadline of May 3 to receive statements of interest in PIA.
“The restructured PIA is being offered to potential investors in its ‘debt-lite’ new structure for a 51%-plus stake,” the Privatisation Commission said in a website presentation.
Former foreign minister also expressed optimism that both the Sindh and Balochistan governments would increase wages, while also expecting the federal government to raise wages.
“The philosophy of the PPP is simple; workers should be rewarded for their hard work. We hope that the federal, Sindh, and Balochistan governments will increase wages,” he maintained.
“I am celebrating Labour Day with my worker brothers and sisters. The world economy runs on the hard work of workers. While the elite earn money, it’s the workers’ sweat that makes it happen,” Bilawal said.
