PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla has expressed worries about the “selected privatisation” of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), claiming that the process is not being carried out transparently. The formal divestment process of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIACL) began after the Board of Privatisation Commission appointed a financial adviser for the transaction. The airline has been facing crisis after crisis, including a fuel supply issue with Pakistan State Oil (PSO) that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and pushed the national carrier to the brink of collapse.
Mandviwalla alleged the involvement of PML-N leader Saad Rafique in the privatisation process, questioning the transparency of the process and expressing concerns about selling the airline to a predetermined buyer. He stated that the PPP would protest against such a “selected” privatisation. Senator Raza Rabbani also opposed PIA’s privatisation, raising questions about the fuel supply disruption and expressing concerns about the government’s plans and their potential impact on PIA staff’s job security and benefits.