The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has issued a notification of its intent to present a bid for Pakistan International Airlines, with the belief that it will surpass the Rs10 billion lead put in by the Blue World Consortium. KP Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT) has also championed this PIA bidding process, with Vice Chairman Hassan Masood Kunwar leading the charge.
KP-BOIT formally presented a letter to the Federal Minister for Privatization Aleem Khan, stating that the province is interested in retaining PIA as a strategic national asset. Kunwar said this Pakistan International Airlines bid is in line with the intent of the KP to maintain its national status by not letting the airline enter into private or foreign-backed hands. The letter stated the need for keeping PIA within the framework of a province so it will be in the public interest and national values.
KP’s government bid for Pakistan International Airlines to be higher than that of Blue World Consortium
Kunwar said that the KP government would submit a higher bid than the Rs10 billion presented by Blue World Consortium. The KP administration also wants to meet with the federal privatization ministry without delay so they can present their proposal and elaborate on their plans for the development of PIA. Kunwar said that in this Pakistan International Airlines bid, they would join hands with technical and financial experts for the development of airlines free from political interference.
This announcement comes after the talks, which KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur led. Kunwar said the PIA bid was not political but rather an aspiration to secure this airline’s future. For the KP government, PIA is an essential national symbol. And according to the officials, selling it at a low price will debase the legacy.
KP is committed to maintaining the airline as a source of national pride, particularly in a race where foreign interests, including a Chinese-backed Blue World Consortium bid for the asset. KP would bring capable professionals and manage PIA with its best possible ability and look forward to reviving the airline as a national asset, said Kunwar.
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