Caretakers defy ECP directive, okay PIA restructuring

ISLAMABAD: A day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) barred the caretakers from taking any step vis-à-vis Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including its privatisation, the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan for restructuring of the national flag carrier. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. The ECP had asked the caretaker government to “refrain from taking any further steps, including signing of an agreement” on privatisation of PIA or its entities, till its formal clearance. In a letter to the cabinet secretary less than a week ahead of the general elections, the ECP reminded the federal government of Article 230 of the Constitution that explains the roles and limitations of the caretakers and demanded that all the relevant cabinet documentation be furnished to it.