Tarar hails PIA privatisation as historic milestone for Pakistan 

Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday hailed the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as a milestone decision, stressing that the entire exercise was conducted openly and with the country’s collective interest in mind.

He was speaking at a media briefing alongside the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Privatisation, Muhammad Ali, and Privatisation Commission Secretary Usman Akhtar Bajwa, where he congratulated Muhammad Ali and his team for bringing a long-delayed process to a successful conclusion.

Tarar remarked that a new phase had begun to revive the national carrier, noting that debates over PIA’s privatization had dragged on for decades and that earlier attempts repeatedly failed to move beyond the discussion stage.

Emphasizing the government’s commitment to openness, he said the Prime Minister had ordered the live broadcast of the bidding process so that every step could be witnessed by the public.

He said the completion of the privatization would finally end the airline’s persistent financial drain on public funds, ensuring that taxpayer money would no longer be used to plug ongoing losses.

The information minister also told the newsmen that reform initiatives at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were advancing swiftly, reflecting the government’s broader push to improve economic governance and efficiency.