Pak tells senate panel to consider PIA shutdown

The Pakistan government has urged lawmakers cutting across party lines to declare the loss-making national flag carrier PIA “bankrupt” and eventually “shut it down”, saying the airline lacks discipline, top-quality management, ethical and professional officers.

The proposal was made by Prime Minister’s adviser on aviation Sardar Mehtab Abbasi on Thursday at the senate special committee on the performance of Pakistan International Airlines, days after drugs were recovered from its plane in London.

“Such a recommendation (to shutdown) from a parliamentary committee will help the government take the difficult decision that it is otherwise hesitating to take,” Dawn quoted Mr Abbasi as saying.

The committee, which met to discuss the status of its recommendations

● The proposal was made by PM’s adviser on aviation Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, days after drugs were recovered from its plane in London

to overhaul PIA, also took up incidents over the past month that gave a bad name to the airline.

Mr Abbasi laid three options before the committee — let the national flag carrier run the way it runs, operate in loss; declare it bankrupt and shut it down; or, restructure it.

“We are trying to restructure PIA, but it is an extremely difficult task,” he said.

Committee chairman Mushahidullah Khan said the body was not in favour of shutting down PIA altogether. In its recommendations, the subcommittee demanded that the present Board of Directors be dissolved for inefficiency.