What can be termed a big step ahead of its privatization, the management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday issued tenders for the sale of spare parts of some of its planes, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to the sources, parties interested in the purchase of parts of planes, worth billions of rupees, namely Boeing 737, Boeing 707 and Fokker aircraft can submit their applications by April 29.

Sources disclosed that spare parts of these planes had been lying in the airline’s storeroom for the last several years.

In order to review the privatization of PIA, the national airline, an extraordinary annual general meeting of the airline’s management has been convened on April 20.

The PIA management, at a ceremony held at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, invited all parties, which had shares in the airline, to attend the meeting at which they will be taken into confidence on important issues confronting the airline, including its privatization.

Speaking at the ceremony, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that the government had prioritized the PIA’s privatization.

Aurangzeb told the gathering that the government was working24/7 to expedite the process of privatization.

Reporter: Khurshid Rehmani