Lahore: Whether the national airline PIA can be privatized or not, the many reasons for this national asset to suffer losses of billions of rupees include the negligence and incompetence of the institution’s own management, while the alleged wrong decisions, conflict of interest and inability to take timely steps to save the institution from financial losses during the governments of the three major political parties of the country, including General Musharraf, PML-N, PPP and Tehreek-e-Insaf, also added fuel to the fire.
According to the details, different political governments caused financial losses of billions and trillions of rupees to the national airline PIA due to their wrong decisions and personal interests. During the rule of PML-N, PPP, General Musharraf and PTI, no one took steps to solve the problems of the national airline and make it profitable, which is why efforts are being made to sell the national flag carrier airline at rock bottom prices today.
PIA sources and audit reports have revealed how billions of rupees were lost in the guise of purchasing planes, changing seats, and providing entertainment to passengers. When Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was made the chairman of PIA during the first term of the PML-N government, he bought the planes of Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airlines that the company had grounded.
He bought Boeing 747 Series 300 while the fourth series of Boeing Seven-Four Seven and other modern aircraft were available in the market. The planes that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi bought were only 19 planes left in the world. First, these planes were leased and then suddenly purchased.
When the 20 PIA officers who raised an outcry against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s decision to raise objections, they were retired.
Then, during the PPP regime, agreements were made with an American software company to provide services from booking tickets and instead of forty or forty-five cents, it was increased to one and a half dollars. This also caused billions of rupees to be lost to PIA and the company was overpaid.
A company called Trans World Aviation was given free rein to buy spare parts and other equipment for aircraft, which they sold to PIA at prices many times higher than market rates. During the rule of General Musharraf, Ahmed Saeed was made the head of PIA. He bought eight Boeing Triple Seven aircraft, while six Airbus A310 aircraft lying in Airbus’s store were leased, which were later purchased by PIA. In this regard, PIA also suffered a loss of billions of rupees.
An inquiry was started on this, which was never completed. Then, during the second term of the PML-N government, Shujaat Azeem was made the aviation advisor, and he allowed Saudi Airlines, Turkey, Qatar, Emirates, and other airlines to bring the same number of flights every week.
An audit was conducted, and it was found that in return, Shujaat Azeem had contracted his personal company Royal Airport Service with all these airlines that Royal Airport Service would provide ground services at all airports in Pakistan, meaning the contract that PIA should have received. Despite the immense interference of political parties, no effort was left to sink the PIA fleet. During the PTI era, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar left the issue of fake pilot degrees and imposed a ban in Europe and Britain, which is still in force.
