ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s decision to shift the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) headquarters to Islamabad from Karachi, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday said that the PM or the CEO cannot do it as the authority lies only with the parliament.

Talking to journalists, Sherry said that Section 7 (2) of the PIAC Act clearly states that, “The Headquarters of the Company and any of its subsidiary companies carrying on air transport business shall be at Karachi. The decision to shift the PIA head office cannot be taken by the PM or CEO since the authority lies with the parliament of our country. Why is the Parliament not been taken into confidence?”

“Last year, the Committee was assured that no such decision is being taken and now they have suddenly decided to shift the headquarters. Only the Parliament has the authority to amend the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016. How can this be done without Parliament’s approval?” she asked.

Rehman said that the PIA management has not given a single valid justification for their decision, adding why the staff was not taken onboard for this decision as this is a political move with an “ulterior motive”.

“We are fighting a pandemic and people are struggling to make ends meet. Yet the government is going ahead with its plan to cut PIA’s existing workforce by half.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021