Federal govt lacks mandate to privatise PIA: Imran

Vows to transform national flag carrier into world-class airline if voted to power

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday that the federal government lacked the mandate to privatise the Pakistan International Airline (PIA).

Upon his arrival in Karachi on a two-day visit, Khan lashed out at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Sharif family.

While addressing PIA employees, he said the federal government had no mandate to privatise the national flag carrier.

Nowhere in the world such practices of selling out national institutions were adopted, he added.

After coming into power, he said the PTI would transform the PIA into a world class airline on which the entire country would be proud of. He said the privatisation was done through consultations in other countries but in Pakistan it was unfortunate that the Pakistan Steel Mills was suffering losses while the mills owned by the Sharif family were earning billions abroad.



“National institutions are not for sale and we have proved it by successfully running the Bank of Khyber,” he said, adding that there was a need to end political interference in the affairs of all national institutions.

The PTI chairman was optimistic that his party would form the next government in all provinces, including the Centre.

Only three months are left for this government and the next government will be of the PTI, he said, adding that his government would eliminate corruption which was the basis of the destruction of national institutions.

On the occasion, he also planted a sapling outside the Karachi airport and inaugurated his party’s ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2018.