On Wednesday, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) took the decision to freeze the accounts of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), a move that coincided with the presence of a team from the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Pakistan.
In another related development, Pakistan State Oil issued a warning, stating that it would cease oil supply to the airline unless outstanding dues were settled by Thursday.
A spokesperson for Pakistan International Airlines expressed disappointment over the timing of the account freeze, highlighting that the airline was currently hosting a delegation from EASA tasked with assessing flight safety issues.
The airline management is reportedly in communication with the FBR, which has frozen a total of 28 PIA accounts. Despite the challenges, the spokesperson conveyed hope that the matter would be resolved expeditiously.
In 2020, EASA prohibited PIA from operating flights to Europe following a plane crash in Karachi on May 22, 2020. This restriction was implemented based on statements by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in parliament, asserting that 40 percent of Pakistani pilots held questionable qualifications.
The EASA delegation, comprising four members, conducted an inspection of PIA’s operations, apron, engineering area, and flight safety tools in Karachi on Wednesday. Prior to this, the team had reviewed measures taken by the Civil Aviation Authority concerning pilot licenses and airworthiness on Tuesday.
Petitions Urging Election Postponement Over Security and Snowfall Reach ECP
Meanwhile, amid ongoing speculations aiming to cast doubts on the scheduled general polls on February 8, two separate petitions urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the elections were presented. These appeals, originating from individuals in Balochistan, cited security concerns and snowfall in various districts as grounds for the requested delay.
An ECP spokesperson countered these claims, asserting that the updated electoral rolls for the upcoming general elections were already in the process of printing at Nadra offices. Additionally, the distribution of these lists to different districts has commenced.
