ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has emphasized the need to expedite the process of reforms and restructuring of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to save billions of rupees of the national exchequer.
Chairing a meeting about reforms in the PIA, he said taking out national institutions of losses, and making them active and stable was an important part of the present government’s agenda.
The PM said there was a need to expedite the reforms process in government institutions as the people had to bear the burden of their billions of rupees’ losses.
The prime minster said that by making the national institution like PIA profitable, it was necessary to ensure the best utilization of all its available resources in a transparent manner, besides expediting its administrative reforms process.
The meeting reviewed progress on reforms in the PIA, ways to save it from further losses and make it a profitable institution. It was told that after the induction of the present administration, the PIA’s losses had reduced satisfactorily and at operational level it was in a position to run flights without bearing any loss. However, it was informed that the COVID-19 situation had affected the efforts.
The prime minister said that it was necessary to expedite administrative reforms and to ensure efficient utilization of all available resources in a transparent manner. He directed that progress be made in this regard on a priority basis in accordance with a detailed and comprehensive strategy.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ghulam Sarwar, Shibli Faraz, Asad Umar, Muhammad Mian Soomro, Prime Minister’s advisers Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Razzaq Dawood, Dr Hafeez Sheikh. special assistants Lt-Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Zulfiqar Bukhari, Chairman Board of Investment Atif Bukhari, PIA Chief Air Marshal Arshad Malik and other senior officers of different ministries.