LAHORE: After the government’s failed attempt to privatize Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)—one of the highest loss-making entities—PML-N President Nawaz Sharif added a new dimension to the situation by revealing that his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, had consulted him on potentially acquiring the national airline.
Nawaz shared that they were considering the acquisition either to revive PIA or to launch a new airline, tentatively named “Air Punjab.”
On Thursday, the much-anticipated PIA privatization hit a roadblock when the sole bid came in approximately Rs75 billion lower than the government’s expectations. The Blue World City consortium placed a bid of Rs10 billion, significantly below the Privatisation Commission’s minimum set price of Rs85.03 billion.
Despite pre-qualifying six groups in June, only the real estate firm participated in the final round, prompting the commission to allow the consortium additional time to reconsider its offer.
Speaking at an event in the U.S., Nawaz explained that Maryam had discussed the acquisition plan with him, which included adding new planes to the fleet and potentially rebranding it as “Air Punjab.”
It remains unclear whether this initiative would involve rebranding PIA or launching an entirely new airline.
Nawaz mentioned advising Maryam to either pursue PIA’s acquisition or establish a fresh airline that could offer direct routes to London, Hong Kong, Turkey, New York, and other major destinations.
This plan is still under consideration, with either a revamped PIA or a new airline potentially in the pipeline.
There was no immediate clarification on whether this acquisition would be undertaken privately or through the provincial government, but Nawaz’s comments suggested a possible provincial government involvement.
However, questions have arisen about the feasibility of a provincial government managing an entity that the federal government struggled to operate effectively. Additionally, it is uncertain whether the IMF would approve of transferring control of a debt-ridden institution between governments.
Interestingly, just a day prior, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government expressed interest in acquiring PIA, officially notifying the federal government of its intention to submit a bid that would surpass the Blue World Consortium’s Rs10 billion offer.
Hassan Masood Kunwar, vice chairman of the K-P Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT), conveyed this interest in a letter to Federal Minister for Privatisation Aleem Khan.
Later, a PML-N official clarified that it was the Punjab government, not the Sharif family, considering the PIA acquisition.
Nawaz Sharif, currently in the U.S. on the third leg of his tour, has been abroad since October 25, having visited the UAE and his secondary base in London before arriving in the U.S. He is expected to return to London shortly before embarking on a European tour.
During the event, Nawaz criticized those responsible for PIA’s decline, particularly blaming former PTI aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He claimed that Sarwar’s public accusation of PIA pilots having fake degrees damaged the airline’s reputation and led to its ban in European airspace.
Nawaz dismissed Sarwar’s statement as a falsehood and argued that even if it had any truth, it should have remained undisclosed.
Ironically, under Nawaz’s leadership, PML-N has governed Pakistan more frequently than any other party over the past four decades—a period during which PIA’s fortunes steadily declined.
Nawaz also referred to a controversial audio clip of former chief justice Saqib Nisar, which is available online and allegedly features Nisar saying that Nawaz should be imprisoned while Imran Khan was to be brought into power.
He claimed that Nisar’s son was later caught attempting to buy a ticket from PTI.
He reiterated his longstanding grievances, recalling that he was disqualified over a technicality involving unpaid salary from his son.
While the audio clip has been verified as doctored, Nawaz, supported by the establishment, continues to mention it without apparent repercussions.
Once again, he likened PTI supporters to “sheep and goats” for their allegiance to Imran Khan, claiming that Pakistan was now facing the consequences of their decisions.
Nawaz challenged the people of K-P to question PTI’s achievements, asking, “What development have they provided in terms of dams, power projects, motorways, educational institutions, or hospitals?”
He criticized PTI’s lack of significant progress and referenced the BRT project, which PTI initially disparaged as the “Jangla Bus” before adopting a similar model.
He added that PTI’s only tangible impact seemed to be the erosion of cultural values and mutual respect within society.
Nawaz argued that Pakistan’s constitutional institutions were responsible for the country’s current challenges.
He concluded by encouraging expatriates to invest in Pakistan, not only with their funds but also with their expertise.
