LONDON/NEW YORK: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has disclosed that his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab, proposed the acquisition of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with plans to rebrand it as “Air Punjab.”
During a gathering with party supporters in New York, Nawaz shared Maryam’s vision of transforming PIA into a premier airline.
“Maryam suggested that we purchase PIA and rename it ‘Air Punjab,’ aiming to elevate it to one of the best airlines,” he stated. He further mentioned that he advised her to consider launching a new airline that would serve international destinations, emphasizing the need for fresh aircraft and innovative branding.
“I encouraged Maryam to explore the idea further. We could either acquire PIA or establish a new airline that connects Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi to major cities around the world, including New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Discussions on this topic are already taking place,” he added.
In the same conversation, Nawaz expressed his disappointment over the decline of PIA under the previous government led by Imran Khan. He criticized former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar’s statements regarding PIA pilots’ licensing, stating, “The remarks made were damaging. Whether true or not, should such comments have been aired publicly? This has deeply hurt the airline.”
Nawaz shared his personal experience of arriving in the U.S. after multiple flight changes, highlighting the current struggles of PIA. His comments follow a recent expression of interest from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to acquire PIA with a bid exceeding Rs10 billion, especially after the national airline received a minimal bid of Rs10 billion in a recent privatization attempt.
The KP Board of Investment submitted a letter to the privatization ministry, indicating their intention to participate in the sale of PIA, which has struggled financially. The Privatization Commission has decided to reinitiate the bidding process after only attracting a single, low bid against PIA’s valuation of Rs85 billion from the Blue World City Consortium.
