He said the government is following 'The Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016' passed by the joint session of Parliament for privatization. He said that under this act the PIA has become the part of business of air transport.
He said that under the act, the government-owned company is also being established under which all the fixed assets of PIA would be managed. He said that a privatization committee would complete due process of privatization, adding that the shares of PIA will be sold out after due process.
The minister said that the PIA is facing a loss of Rs 150 million per day, adding that its losses have been escalated to Rs 400 billion. He said the government is bound to complete the privatization of PIA by April 15 as per the 'PIAC Conversion Act 2016' adopted unanimously by the Parliament.
Responding to a question of opposition member, he said the government would not stop work due to the fact that it has only four months to complete its 5-year tenure, adding that it would perform its duty till last day. The National Assembly passed 'The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017' to imprisonment from three to 10-year or imposing a fine not less than double of amount mentioned in the cheque or both if any person issued it dishonestly to repayment of a loan or fulfillment of an obligation.
According to the Bill, 'if the amount mentioned in the cheque is less than ten hundred thousand rupees with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which will not be less than double of the amount mentioned in the cheque or with both: or If the amount mentioned in the cheque is more than ten hundred thousand rupees but less than fifty hundred thousand rupees with imprisonment of either description for a term which may be extend to five years or with the fine which will not be less than double of the amount mentioned in the cheque or with both: or if the amount mentioned in the cheque is more than fifty hundred thousand rupees but less than ten million rupees with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine which shall not be less than double of the amount mentioned in the cheque or with both.
The National Assembly also passed 'The Service Tribunal Rights Bill, 2016' and 'The Pakistan Courier and Logistics Regulatory Authority Bill, 2017' on private members' day. According to 'Pakistan Courier and Logistics Regulatory Authority Bill, 2017,' it would protect the interest of consumers, state and courier and logistics service providers, to create fair conditions for all market operators, to organize the competition in terms of quality, accessibility, affordability, safety, security and to bring the operations of courier and logistics service providers within the ambit of law, prescribing regulatory framework as such.
The National Assembly also passed 'Health Services Academy Restructuring Bill, 2017' and 'Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Bill, 2017.' The bills were moved by Minister for National Health Services, Saira Afzal Tarar. The House also passed two resolutions separately regarding to control price of life saving medicines and to take steps to control tubercle bacillus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome and hepatitis in the country.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that all the institutions should work while remaining within their constitutional domains. Speaking in the National Assembly, the minister agreed with Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah's remarks made on Monday that mistakes have been made.
She said the narrative of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif regarding sanctity of vote has become voice of the whole nation. "Sending a prime minister packing and describing him as 'Godfather' and 'Sicilian Mafia' is a rejection of the people's opinion," Aurangzeb said. Ghulam Sarwar Khan of PTI said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has always damaged the institutions and it even attacked the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the past.
He claimed that whenever the PML-N comes into power it politicizes the institutions including police, civilian bureaucracy and judiciary. He said that for the first time in the history, accountability of a ruler is being made. Add to main item with byline
Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation was assured by the government on Tuesday that the management of PIA will remain with the government while minority share of 49 percent will be sold by April 15 as stipulated under the PIAC Conversion Act of 2016 approved by the parliament.
Briefing the committee on government's plan to proceed with the transaction of PIA, Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz said the government intends to separate the transport business from the assets of the airlines and the entity will remain to be owned by the State. This is totally different transaction wherein the majority of shares will remain with the government, and the management control which is the key element of any organization, will remain with the State.
The transport model has been approved by the recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation separating air transport business from non-air transport business. Various assets and liabilities that are not part of air transport business will be shifted to a new company yet to be named like PIA holding company.
While referring to the management accounts and audit accounts, Daniyal Aziz said that by separating the transport business, the investment rate of PIA will be restored and the national flag carrier will become a positive equity company, and its shares in the stock market will become positive assets base resulting in regeneration of attraction. Speaking about the current losses of PIA, he said the money is not drained from PIA, rather than the national exchequer. This amount could have been diverted to other public welfare projects in the country, he said.
The privatization minister said that privatization could not possible in a couple of months, and in the case of PIA, the process is continuing for the last thirty months. Financial advisers have prepared reports on various assets and liabilities that are not part of the air transport business.
The standing committee headed by Senator Mohsin Aziz of PTI expressed its annoyance over the absence of Prime Minister's Adviser on Aviation, Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi from the meeting. The committee wanted to hear Sardar Abbasi about his statement on the floor of the house that the government has no plan to privatize PIA.
Responding to the issue, Daniyal Aziz said that he himself took the reign of privatization in September while Sardar Mehtab Abbasi also took charge as advisor on aviation. At the next meeting of the standing committee, Sardar Mehtab will explain the statement he made in the senate. At one stage, after a heated debate, Senator Saleem Mandviwala staged a walk-out, but returned later.
Senator Sherry Rehman put numerous questions on the privatization of PIA and the aviation policy of the government. She questioned the minister as to who is running the affairs of PIA these days while criticizing the role of former adviser, Shujaat Azeem. She said that the aviation policy of the government has lost a great deal of PIA business with closing down of international routes which under the open sky policy have gone to other airlines. Senator Rehman said lots of overseas Pakistanis have expressed their deep concern over the reported sell-off of PIA.