The government will request new expressions of interest (EOI) for the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) later this month, following the first annual benefit of the national carrier in more than 20 years, a government councilor announced on Thursday.
The efforts to privatize PIA were hampered by unresolved problems concerning the taxation and the results of the airline. Muhammad Ali, government councilor on privatization, said that these questions had now been resolved.
The new EOI should be published at the end of April 2025, with the intention of finishing privatization before the end of the year.
In addition to the PIA, the government has also launched the process of privatization of electricity distribution companies, marking it as a high priority. Ali noted that certain companies initially planned for the second phase would now be included in the first privatization phase.
The government has attempted to privatize the PIA, aimed at unloading a participation of 51 to 100% in the airline responsible for debt as part of reforms within the framework of an international monetary fund program of $ 7 billion. However, a previous attempt last year failed when only one offer was received, well below the requested price of $ 300 million.
