Business Desk 
Jul 09, 2025
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane prepares to take-off at Alama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore February 1, 2012. — Reuters
The Privatisation Commission Board approved the prequalification of four bidders for the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) on Tuesday.
The approval was made during the 237th meeting of the Board, which was chaired by Prime Minister Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali.
The resolution to approve the bidders was taken in light of recommendations made by the Prequalification Committee, which assessed the five applicants for compliance with the technical, financial, and documentation requirements set out in the Request for Statement of Qualification (RSOQ).
The four prequalified bidders are:
- Consortium 1: Lucky Cement, Hub Power Holdings, Kohat Cement, and Metro Ventures
- Consortium 2: Arif Habib Corporation, Fatima Fertilizer, City Schools, and Lake City Holdings
- Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited
- Air Blue (Private) Limited
The four prequalified bidders will now enter into the buy-side due diligence stage of the privatisation process. The government of Pakistan is aiming to promote a privatisation process that is competitive and transparent.
The inclusion of market leaders in the cement and fertiliser, education, and aviation sectors demonstrates the increasing interest from the private sector to transform the national airline into a commercial, economically viable entity.
