‘PIA — pride, strategic asset, should not have been privatized’

‘PIA — pride, strategic asset, should not have been privatized’
Naeemur Rehman says selling off national institutions because govt failed in running them — matter of shame
‘PIA profited Rs10billion as burden already shifted to PIA holdings’ — JI supremo questions logic behind privatization
‘A secondhand 320 airbus roughly cost Rs10bn, whereas govt sold out entire airline to same price’
‘Israel violated ceasefire 62 times in 72 days,’ armed forces asked to clear position on disarming Hamas to support Israel
Demanded law and order in riverine areas of Sindh, development in Karachi
Strongly condemned attacks on Christians in India and Palestine during the Christmas celebrations
Says PIA’s assets, goodwill way higher than the price at which the national flag carrier was sold
Questions role, status of Fauji Foundation; ‘Is it a private entity, public limited company or belongs to state institution?’
‘Israel violated ceasefire 62 times in 72 days,’ armed forces asked to clear position on disarming Hamas to support Israel
Strongly condemned attacks on Christians in India and Palestine during the Christmas celebrations

KARACHI: DECEMBER 26: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) was the pride and strategic asset of Pakistan and it should not have been privatized in the first place.
The JI supreme leader expressed these views while addressing a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq — the JI Karachi headquarters, here on Friday.
“Private sector should be supported, traders should be facilitated, measures should be taken for growth of the economy but selling off national institutions because the government failed in running them is a matter of shame,” he said.
“The PIA was not only generating profit in the past but it had also supported China, Saudi, Malta and other airlines. What made the PIA a loss making entity — The PML-N, the PPP, the PML-Q and the PTI are directly responsible for ruining it.
“All the government in the past three to four decades and some armed men appointed with reigns of the airline during the said period mishandled the PIA by making fake appointment, corruption and . As a result the PIA crushed — without holding the responsible accountable, it should not have been sold out.”
He raised a point that the PIA was split into two companies and the almost loss were shifted to the PIA holdings; the other company, whereas during the January to June six-month-period the PIA showed positive growth with around Rs10 billion in profit.
“We don’t have any grudge against those who bid but the government because of its mismanagement.”
A secondhand 320 airbus roughly cost Rs10 billion, whereas the government sold out the entire airline to the same price, he said and made it clear that Rs135 billion was a misleading figure because the more than 90 percent of the amount is aimed at reinvestment — by a private owner to his own airline and that has nothing to do with the national exchequer or the process of sailing out the airline.
Similar is the case of the boing airplanes, he said and highlighted that the PIA has 78 landing rights across the globe including Europe. The assets and goodwill of the PIA was way higher than the price at which the national flag carrier was sold, he highlighted.
He also questioned the role and the status of the Fauji Foundation. “Is it a private entity, is it a public limited company or isn’t it belong to an institution? In this case, does the institution belong to the state?,” he said and concluded that directly or indirectly the government was ready to handover a state owned company to another state owned company. So, where is the privatization?, he asked. Who will respond to these questions?
“On the other hand, ABAD members were holding press conferences to seek security from extortionists. This is the state of affairs in the country. As a direct result of the bad governance, institutions are corrupted and plundered and later the government announce proudly that the nation has get rid of them by privatization.”
Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman further said that the nation will have to get rid of these gangs imposed on it with the help of form 47.
Talking about the issue of Palestine, he said that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement 62 times in the past 72 days. In this backdrop, he said, an international force is being formed to disarm Hammas in Gaza. In the past it was an honour for our armed forces that their soldiers and pilots had downed Israeli warplanes, he said, adding that now the same forces would be installed against Hamas and Palestinian freedom fighters. This is totally unacceptable, he said and demanded the armed forces to clear their position if they are willing to disarm Hamas in support of Israel.

On the occasion, he shed light in detail on the war crimes by Israeli forces and the overwhelming support Israel enjoyed by Donald Trump in connection with Gaza genocide. He appealed the nation to take to social media against the proposed support to Israel.
He strongly condemned Indian over attacks on Christians during the Christmas celebrations. He also condemned Israel over targeting Christmas during the celebrations.
Talking about local issues, he demanded the government maintain law and order, particularly in riverine and adjoining areas in the Sindh province. He highlighted the recent acts of killings, extortion and abductions in the area. He also shed light on the dilapidated infrastructure and prevailing multidimensional crises in Karachi — the economic nerve of the country. He also questioned the role of establishment in imposing on Karachi and Karachiites, the rejected lot of politicians.

Shakil Ahmed Turabi
Secretary Information Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.
Contact :0321-9559222