No employee of PIA should be laid off, directs PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned that no employee of the National Airlines PIA should be laid off in any eventuality.

This has been stated in a release issued with reference to Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar who called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here Tuesday at the PM House.Ishaq Dar briefed the premier on the new Ordinance regarding Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The prime minister was informed about the salient features of the new PIA company law partnership, which includes job protection of all employees of PIA, insulating PIA from bureaucratic control and to run it on an autonomous corporate model like OGDCL etc. As per the directions of the prime minister, no employee of PIA will be laid off.

Dar apprised the PM that the government was totally focused on the rehabilitation of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) who have offered sacrifices, after the successful launch of operation Zarb-e-Azb. The prime minister directed that all resources should be made available for prompt and honourable rehabilitation of TDPs.

The finance minister informed the premier that out of the rupees 40 billion revenue proposed to be generated through regulatory duty on luxury items, Rs27 billion shall be allocated to provinces, the release added.