KARACHI: The federal government has stepped up efforts to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with four shortlisted investor consortiums scheduled to visit the airline’s headquarters in Karachi next week, sources told ARY News on Friday.
During their visit, the investor groups will receive detailed briefings covering key areas such as human resources, financial status, fleet information, and domestic/international operations.
To ensure transparency and informed decision-making, the shortlisted groups will also be given access to PIA’s official business records ahead of the formal bidding phase. Senior airline officials have been instructed to make comprehensive preparations in advance of the visits.
The initiative is designed to give prospective buyers a thorough understanding of PIA’s operational framework, enabling them to submit well-informed and competitive bids.
Earlier this week, the Privatisation Commission Board, chaired by Minister Muhammad Ali, approved four consortiums following a rigorous evaluation of five applications during its 273rd meeting.
The pre-qualified consortiums include:
- Group 1: Lucky Cement Limited and Hub Power Holdings Limited
- Group 2: Kohat Cement Company Limited and Metro Ventures Limited
- Group 3: Arif Habib Corporation Limited, Fatima Fertilizer Company, and Fauji Fertilizer
- Group 4: City Schools Limited, Lake City Holdings, and Airblue
The government aims to finalize the PIA transaction in a structured and transparent manner.
