ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airline Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the national flag carrier, managing director Najeeb Samie officially disclosed to the national assembly standing committee on Wednesday that US President, Donald Trump’s company was interested in buying PIA and its Roosevelt hotel in New York.
This disclosure stunned many members of the committee who raised many questions to the process being followed by Imran government for giving away previous asset of Pakistan to Donald Trump’s company or some other interested party. The MD’s disclosure that Donald Trump’s company had shown interest in buy PIA and Roosevelt Hotel in the past and he is still interested to buy it. Najeeb Samie’s statement before the national assembly standing committee has come at a time when different segments of the society are showing suspension over the government plan of selling off or offering PIA and its Roosevelt Hotel to any party.
The majority of standing committee members questioned the timing of PIA and Roosevelt Hotel and cautioned the government to give its plan second thought. In their views , post corona period was not a good time for making any such offer to the buyers.
Responding to a question of Saad Rafiq, a PMLN member, Aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told the committee that issue of fake licenses had surfaced in 2018 which was later thoroughly probed on the direction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He told the committee that 28 suspected pilot of PIA have been fired from service and licenses of another 58 have been suspended. He assured the committee that PTI government will make every possible efforts to make PIA a great airline. He said the government will go after those who facilitated some individuals to get fake licenses.