In a significant development, the privatisation Ministry has announced that six companies/consortiums have been pre-qualified for the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The pre-qualified entities include Air Blue, Arif Habib Corporation, Blue World City, Fly Jinnah, Pak Ethanol Consortium, and YB Holdings Consortium. This decision was taken during a meeting of the Privatization Commission Board, presided over by Federal Minister for Privatization, Investment, and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan.

The minister stated that the pre-qualified companies/consortiums will now be able to participate in the bidding process for PIA. He emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring a transparent and swift privatization of all loss-making state-owned enterprises.

“The technical and financial stability of the institutions participating in the privatization process will be taken into account,” Aleem Khan said, adding that the move is aimed at stabilizing the national economy.

The minister also urged for the privatization process to be broadcast live on media to enhance transparency. This development marks a significant step forward in the government’s efforts to offload loss-making entities and streamline the national economy.