The government enforced the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act of 1952, allowing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to take punitive action against employees who disobey lawful orders.
The Essential Services Act, implemented on orders from the Ministry of Interior, will be in effect for six months. A notification stated that the act ensures uninterrupted airline operations.
The act applies to employees who disobey lawful orders or persuade others to disobey. It also targets those who abandon their jobs without reasonable excuse, absent themselves from work, refuse to work, or leave specified areas without consent.
Violating the act can lead to imprisonment for up to one year and a fine. Earlier in May, eight companies submitted bids for PIA’s privatization. The deadline for expressions of interest was May 17 at 4 PM.
Sources revealed that the pre-qualification process for bidders will begin soon. Shortlisted companies will receive further details about PIA during this process. The pre-qualification process is expected to conclude by the last week of May.
Advertisements for PIA’s privatization were published on April 2 and 3. The Privatisation Commission received bids from Fly Jinnah, Airblue Limited, Jiri International Pvt Ltd, Shineji Company of China, Younis Brothers Holdings Consortium, Pak Ethanol Consortium, and Blue World City Consortium.
