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Pakistan to take on prospective bidders' issue over airline company security restriction

Pakistan's privatisation commission is dealing with concerns voiced by those qualified to bid for the nation's national airline company about a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ban on the carrier, an official stated on Wednesday.

The privatisation of the loss-making state-owned business has actually long been on the International Monetary Fund's list of recommendations for Pakistan, which is looking for to strike an offer with the fund for a longer term bailout this month.

The privatisation commission pre-qualified six consortiums for bidding in June and anticipates to conclude the privatisation procedure of Pakistan International Airlines by next month.

Usman Bajwa, secretary of the commission, told an instruction the body was addressing concerns voiced by those pre-qualified by the government to bid for a stake varying from 51% to 100%.

Previous federal governments avoided getting rid of the flag carrier as a potentially highly unpopular move, however the country needs to unlock further moneying from the IMF.

EASA banned the PIA from its most profitable paths in Europe and Britain after a PIA plane crash in Karachi in 2020 killed almost 100, followed by a scandal over pilot licences.

The ban continues, costing the airline company annual profits of almost 40 billion rupees

(source: Reuters)