Rawalpindi
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is not being privatised; rather, the national flag carrier is being restructured.
Talking to the media persons on Saturday, the minister said that the manpower load on the airline is being reduced as part of the restructuring plan.
He said, “We are trying to induct four new planes in the national flag carrier this year to make it a profitable organisation.”
The federal minister while commenting on the recent developments in the neighbouring country said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a clear stance on the Afghanistan issue, adding Pakistan would not become a party in the internal affairs of any country.
He said that economic development and peace in Pakistan are linked with peace in Afghanistan, adding: “We want a stable, peaceful and developed Afghanistan.”
The minister said that India has failed to isolate Pakistan from the peace process in Afghanistan while the world has recognised the role of Pakistan and the forum comprising the USA, Russia and China including Pakistan would pave the way for stability in Afghanistan.
Khan thanked the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for showing their trust in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) through their votes, which resulted in PTI’s electoral victory.
He congratulated all successful candidates in the AJK election and said that PTI has emerged as a “symbol of the federation” with representation in all parts of the country.
The minister said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now has reduced into a party of the interior Sindh while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has also lost its political grip in Central Punjab as the results of bye-elections in Punjab and Kashmir reflect the trend of future politics.
Khan said that the people of Pakistan including AJK and GB have rejected the narrative adopted by Marryam Nawaz in the latest elections as she did not speak a single word against the atrocities of the Modi’s government towards the innocent Kashmiris during the AJK election campaign.
He urged the opposition to submit their suggestions for electoral reforms to hold the next general elections through an electronic voting system and granting the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis.
Responding to a question about the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, the minister said that those involved in the ring road scandal would be dealt with according to law. —TLTP
