RAWALPINDI: PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan confirmed that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) froze Pakistan International Airlines’ bank accounts over unpaid taxes.
He stated that the airline’s management remained in touch with the FBR and anticipated the accounts to be unfrozen shortly. Despite blocking the accounts, PIA asserted that its flight operations and other activities proceeded normally.
While sources mentioned that PIA owed approximately Rs2.8 billion in unpaid taxes to the FBR, the airline contended that the actual dues amounted to around Rs1.3 billion.
PIA officers reject restructuring proposal
The PIA Officers’ Association, under the leadership of President Aqeel Siddiqui, rebuffed the proposed airline restructuring and demanded an immediate salary increase for all employees.
Rejecting the decisions made by the PIA’s board of directors regarding restructuring, the association expressed its dissent in an official statement. Safdar Anjum, the association’s general secretary, confirmed the rejection of the suggested split of the airline into two entities.
Furthermore, the association urged a swift raise in PIA employees’ salaries and established a committee, led by Mr. Anjum, tasked with engaging all stakeholders to develop a future action plan.
In response to the situation, the government formed a committee led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, entrusted with presenting a viable restructuring solution for the airline. The committee included Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Government Effectiveness Jahanzeb Khan, and the aviation secretary.
