Turkish Airlines (THY) has vehemently denied reports circulating in the media suggesting it was in talks of acquiring Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The claims, which suggested that THY had expressed interest in purchasing PIA, were met with a swift rebuttal from the Turkish airline. THY’s Senior Vice President of Media Relations, Yahya Üstün, categorically stated that there are no ongoing negotiations or initiatives to acquire PIA.
The denial comes in response to statements made by Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance, Ali Pervaiz Malik, who had indicated that discussions between the Pakistani government and THY regarding the sale of PIA were underway.
Malik had also linked the potential transaction to Pakistan’s progress in completing its IMF program.
However, THY has unequivocally clarified that such reports are false and unfounded, dismissing any speculation about an acquisition.
In a relevant development, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatization was informed that the bidding process for Pakistan International Airlines Company (PIAC) will be broadcast live on media on October 1, 2024, after approval by the federal cabinet.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Privatization informed the committee that the contract with the winning company/consortia will be finalized. The committee was assured that the rights of the PIAC employees would be protected during the privatization process.
The committee constituted a sub-committee to look into the reasons of decline PIAC and submit its report to the Committee. It comprised Ms. Sehar Kamran as a Convener Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah and Ms. Saba Sadiq as its members.
