Reviving PIA without layoffs: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday said his government has taken steps for revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

Speaking in the Senate, finance minister underscored the need for restructuring the national flag carrier – whose projected loss for the current year is estimated at Rs171 billion.

Blaming former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan as responsible for financial woes of PIA and lack of credibility of aviation sector, Dar said the country has suffered losses worth billions of rupees since.

Dar called for the Upper House to look into the damage caused by the irresponsible statement of the former Minister.

On June 24, 2020 Sarwar had claimed in the National Assembly, that more than 30 percent of the pilots in the country held “fake” licences, adding 262 out of the 860 active pilots in the country “did not take the exam themselves” and had paid someone else to appear on their behalf.

Later, the claim turned out to be untrue.

Dar told Senate that the national carrier would resume flights to United Kingdom in October, after the services were suspended following the fake pilot scandal.

The scandal sparked by former aviation minister’s statement had led to grounding of 262 of Pakistan’s 860 pilots, including 141 of PIA’s 434.

Finance Minister also categorically rejected the possibility of any layoffs in PIA, which has a strength of 9700 employees.