Govt questions PIA demand for $40m per year

Questioning a demand by the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) for an annual financial support of $40 million for continuing its flight operations, the federal government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it had provided the national flag carrier Rs114 billion since 2018. Through its counsel Raja Salman Akram, PIA had sought the $40m financial support, as well as court’s permission to immediately recruit 250 employees since the 2018 SC restriction on new appointments was hurting the organisation and resulting in an increase in average age of employees to 45.2 years. A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, was seized with a case relating to national assets, including PIA, being sold at throwaway prices. The apex court was also told that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had closed a case against former special adviser to the prime minister on aviation Shujaat Azeem since being employed on an honourary basis he did not receive any salary or enjoy perks during his stint.