White elephant’ PIA has cost national kitty Rs830bn, says Aleem Khan
Privatisation Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on Sunday termed the national flag carrier “a white elephant”, claiming it had caused a loss of Rs830 billion to the national exchequer, so far. Speaking at a footwear exhibition in Lahore, he said that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was a burden on the government, but was quick to point out that the process of its privatisation was progressing smoothly. “Private firms are taking interest in the privatisation of PIA,” he said. In reply to a question, Mr Khan said that six Pakistani companies interested in PIA have joint ventures with international firms from Malaysia, Turkiye and UAE. He alluded to Oct 1 as being a key date, saying that once the process was completed, Pakistanis would get an airline of international standards. He praised the Pakistan Footwear Association for developing good ties with global brands and said that increasing the number of trade officers in foreign missions would help the country establish connections in terms of business-to-business activities.