KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday has grilled the government overproposed privatisation of the national flag carrier.

SC took notice of the proposed privatisation of the Pakistan InternationalAirlines (PIA) and handing over of the profitable routes of the nationalflag carrier to other airlines including Air Blue.

The court also restrained the authorities from making fresh recruitments inthe PIA.

Hearing human rights application with regard to the affairs of PIA, theSupreme Court’s two member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisardirected the federal government, secretary ministry of defence, ChairmanPIA to file comments about the affairs of PIA and apprise the court aswhether certain profitable routes of the national flag carrier were givento the private airlines including Air Blue and whether the government hasany intention to privatize the airline.

The court directed the deputy attorney general to file the comments onbehalf of the PIA, secretary defence and others within one week andadjourned the hearing till April 9 at Islamabad principal seat.

The court also took notice of the appointment of adviser to Prime Ministeron Civil Aviation Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi as Chairman PIA and inquired ifhe has the sufficient experience to run such an important organisation.