PM orders fast-track privatization of PIA and out-sourcing of the airport’s services

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to pace up the privatization process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag career.
In a meeting with his Adviser on Aviation Air Marshal (retd) Farhat Hussain, the prime minister emphasized ensuring transparency in the process of privatization.
PM Kakar said privatization of state-owned enterprises was on priority for the government to save the national exchequer from further financial losses.
He said the country’s aviation industry had a high scope of growth through investment.
The prime minister also directed the out-sourcing of airport operations in a bid to ensure improvement of services.
The Aviation Adviser briefed PM Kakar about the matters of the ministry and the reform process.
Meanwhile, the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday while acknowledging that Pakistan and Africa had enjoyed excellent political relations over the years, stressed the need to enhance trade and economic linkages which were yet to realize their full potential.
He also highlighted the importance Pakistan attached to Africa and expressed the desire to strengthen ties with African countries, at the bilateral as well as regional level.
The prime minister met a group of resident envoys representing African countries as well as select Asian countries over a lunch, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was attended by the Ambassadors of Algeria and Sudan as well as High Commissioners of Bangladesh, Brunei, Malaysia, Mauritius, and South Africa. Other participants included the Charge d’ Affaires of Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe.
The caretaker prime minster mentioned that the 4th Pakistan-Africa Trade Conference was being underway in Cairo, Egypt from January 9-11 where Pakistan was represented by a large business delegation led by the commerce minister.
Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar also expressed deep appreciation for Pakistan’s historic ties with the Southeast Asian countries, particularly Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.
He said Pakistan was keen to expand bilateral trade ties with these key countries and sought their assistance in strengthening Pakistan’s engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Referring to the ongoing situation in Gaza, the prime minister stressed the need for dialogue among nations and for intensifying collective efforts to end the violence and bring lasting peace in Palestine.
He also praised the diplomatic envoys for their efforts to build stronger ties with Pakistan and their respective countries.
The diplomats thanked the caretaker prime minister for sparing time to interact with them and said they would continue to work closely with Pakistan to enhance bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday assured the government’s full support to the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for launching projects of public welfare in Pakistan.
“The government will provide all possible facilities to the UNICEF for launching welfare projects in education, health and other sectors,” he said while talking to the UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil who called on him here.
During the meeting, Abdullah Fadil briefed the prime minister on the steps taken by the UNICEF in various areas of Pakistan.
He told the prime minister that during last five years, around US$1 billion worth of projects had been established in a range of fields including humanitarian aid, clean drinking water, food supply, education, and health under UNICEF in Pakistan.- APP