From Our Correspondent:
Lahore – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has shown interest in acquiring Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) or potentially launching a new airline under the name ‘Air Punjab.’
This revelation follows the government’s stalled attempt to privatize PIA, which has been one of the nation’s highest loss-making enterprises.
Last Thursday, the government’s effort to sell PIA hit a roadblock after the sole bid from the Blue World City consortium came in at Rs10 billion—nearly Rs75 billion below the minimum price of Rs85.03 billion set by the Privatisation Commission.
While six groups were pre-qualified in June, only this real estate firm participated in the final bidding. The commission granted additional time to the consortium for a potential bid revision due to the significant price gap.
Speaking at an event in the United States, Nawaz Sharif shared that Maryam had consulted with him about her interest in acquiring PIA, aiming either to revive the national carrier or position ‘Air Punjab’ as a new airline with updated aircraft and enhanced services. This potential move underscores Maryam’s commitment to transforming Pakistan’s aviation sector.
