Government to establish new airline: Pervaiz Rashid

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Thursday said no talks will be held with the protesting Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees and the government will instead launch a new airline.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating the Lahore International Book Fair at the Expo Centre here, the Minister said the government was paying Rs 600 billion annually to PIA, which was a great loss to the national exchequer and the amount could be saved and spent on education and other job generating projects. He said such a big amount to meet the losses of the national airline was a burden on the exchequer and the government was making sincere efforts to make it a financially-viable entity.
To a question, the minister said the loss of Rs 600 billion was being borne by the people and the government jointly. He said the government was working on different options to turn around PIA but it was necessary to reform the mischievous elements in the airline. He said those elements were responsible for the present deplorable condition of the airline. He said the PIA workers should join their duties and restart work in the larger public interest. -Agencies