The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday urged the federal government to ensure that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was privatized in a transparent manner, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Later, the bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, by taking back its original order not to privatize the airline, disposed of the case.
The additional attorney general (AAG) told the bench that the apex court had allowed the airline’s management to hire new professionals. “But since the government had started the privatization process, therefore, the recruitments could not be made.”
The AAG informed the bench that the privatization of the national flag carrier, which had earlier stalled, had now resumed. “The ban imposed on the airline’s flight operation to Europe has been lifted as well,” he added.
Justice Amin remarked that now on the second attempt, the airline might be sold at much higher rates.
Justice Jamal Mandokhel said the government should make sure it was not violating the SC’s orders by privatizing the entity. “The court had ordered the government to take it on board before the privatization.”
The AAG told the judge that the government had filed an application in the court in order to take it into confidence on the matter.
The six-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the case relating to a suo motu notice on reports of selling major shares of PIA at a cheaper price.
The then Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar, had taken suo motu notice of the issue stopping the process of privatization with intentions to constitute a judicial commission, calculate the losses and probe the causes of heavy losses by the PIA.
The order directed the government not to proceed with the privatization of PIA without prior permission of the SCP.
The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, however, withdrew its order in a brief hearing Thursday, paving the way for the government’s plans to go for the privatization of the national airline.
Reporter Amanat Gishkori