ISLAMABAD – The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench has rejected a public interest petition aimed at halting the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), affirming that the process adhered to legal requirements.
The writ petition, filed by Advocate Sardar Amber Maqsood, alleged that the Privatisation Commission had failed to properly issue notices under Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000, and neglected to conduct a legally sound valuation of PIA’s assets under Section 24. It sought to suspend the process until a Privatisation Appellate Tribunal was constituted and demanded full disclosure of asset evaluations.
Justice Jawad Hassan, delivering a comprehensive ruling, determined that the commission had, in fact, fulfilled both requirements through advertisements—published internationally and locally—and by engaging Ernst & Young Consulting LLC, Dubai, for independent valuation. He rejected the petition, stating that no credible evidence had been presented to support allegations of illegality and warning against the misuse of judicial review to obstruct economic policy.
The court also noted that the bidding process had already been cancelled, rendering much of the challenge moot. Moreover, the judge reaffirmed that sensitive valuation documents are protected under confidentiality regulations and cannot be disclosed freely. The ruling underscored the importance of judicial restraint in matters of privatisation, stressing that courts should not interfere in economic decisions unless laws or rights are clearly violated.
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