Information Minister Uzma Bukhari Denies Reports of Punjab Govt Buying PIA

Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bokhari said on Monday that the Punjab government has no plan to buy Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). She explained that while discussions have taken place around launching a new provincial airline for Punjab, purchasing the national flag carrier isn’t being considered. The minister emphasized that provinces have the right to operate their own airlines, noting this was part of the discussions held by the Punjab government. Commenting on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s interest in PIA, the minister sounded unimpressed and argued that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should first prioritize debt repayment before considering such a purchase. Last week, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz sought her father Nawaz Sharif’s assistance in saving the national flag carrier from decline by acquiring it and potentially rebranding it as a carrier for the provincial government. Sources at the time said the former Prime Minister advised his daughter to arrange further consultations on the matter. It has been suggested that PIA could be bought by the Sharif family and rebranded by the Punjab government as ‘Air Punjab’, sources added.